The Lesson
by 1-800fangirl
Summary: After Terra, Beast Boy thought he'd never love ever again. Who was he trying to fool? He spots a drop dead gorgeous girl in the park, and desperately wants to got out with her. Who does he go to for help? An expert matchmaker - Raven. He finds himself falling for both of them. Who will Beast Boy choose? The girl of his dreams? Or the girl of his nightmares? Eighth chapter is up!
1. Chapter 1

This is brand new fanfic! And it's going to be pretty good, if I do say so myself. And you know that means it will be okay – borderline – terrible. My opinion is not valid because I wrote it! Anyways, enjoy, and please review. This story will be ten chapters, and if I get enough approval, I might write a sequel! Yay!

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Teen Titans.

Chapter One

"C'mon Rae!" Beast Boy whined. "Please!"

Raven tried not to scream. He had been begging and pleading for over an hour. She had been ignoring him for over an hour. Could he not see how annoyed she was?

"How many times do I have to say no?" she growled.

Beast Boy continued to bug her. "You did it for Starfire and Robin, but you won't do it for me. How is that fair?"

"Life isn't fair," she retorted. "Get over it."

"I am over it," he protested. "Mostly. I just want to know why life can't ever be _unfair _in _my _favor!"

Raven snapped her book shut. That was it. She scowled at him. "Enough!" she shouted. "Do you want to know why I'm not going to help you? Five reasons. One – you are seriously working my nerves. Two – Starfire is my best friend. Three – Robin is like my brother. Four – You are a stupid little twit. Five – You don't know this girl, and she doesn't know anything about your pathetic existence! OF COURSE I'M NOT GOING TO HELP YOU!"

It was silent as she glared at him. Then she said, "Oh, and I'm sick of everything that involves you. Ever consider that it may be annoying to pester someone for an hour?"

Beast Boy opened his mouth to respond, but Raven lifted a finger to quiet him. "Shut _up_. That was a rhetorical question."

At that, she stormed out the room. Beast Boy watched her leave.

"I was going to say that you gave six reasons," he muttered.

A book flew from the hallway and connected with a solid _thunk _to his forehead.

"Ow!" he yelled, rubbing it fiercely. "That hurt!"

He heard Raven slam her door. He sighed heavily and collapsed onto the couch. He was more disappointed than mad. He respected that Raven didn't want to help him.

_I only bothered her for one hour! She should consider herself lucky that I didn't do it even longer. _

Cyborg walked into the room, looking around. He saw Beast Boy on the couch.

"Yo, what was all the ruckus about?" he asked. "Did Raven throw you out the window again?"

Beast Boy sadly shook his head. "Nope." "

Then what happened?" Cyborg asked, sitting next to him on the couch.

Beast Boy pouted. "Raven refused to help me set up a date with this super cute girl I met in the park."

"Did you actually meet her, or did you spy her from afar?" Cyborg asked him with a smirk.

Beast Boy rolled his eyes but blushed. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that she's the one for me!"

Cyborg snickered. "Right. She's _actually _just a random chick you think is hot."

Beast Boy bit his lip. "Yes and no," he said. "But if you saw her, you'd totally understand."

"Well," Cyborg said, "how about you tell me about this girl? You know, what's her name and such."

Beast Boy sighed dreamily. "All the adjectives in the world couldn't describe her beauty. Gorgeous, beautiful, dazzling, stunning, attractive, striking, eye-catching, fabulous, spectacular, incredible, and simply amazing."

Cyborg raised an eyebrow. "This girl must be quite something," Cyborg said.

"She really is!" Beast Boy said eagerly. "She got me to use a tyrannosaurus!"

"Wow!" Cyborg said in mock surprise. "It's _thesaurus_, not tyrannosaurus. And can you tell me her name now?"

"Her name is Ashley," Beast Boy said, staring off into space. "She has a darker shade of blonde hair, with a few natural highlights, deep ocean blue eyes, light skin, perfectly shaped and painted red nails, pretty pink lips, and - "

"Dude, are you a stalker or something?" Cyborg asked. "I asked for her name, not her life story."

"All I know is what she looks like," Beast Boy declared. "I just happened to notice her long legs, short skirt, knee high socks, and her shirt that's just like Sailor Moon's! But she isn't Sailor Moon. She's more like and angel."

Cyborg made a gagging motion. "This is Terra all over again."

"No it's not!" Beast Boy protested. "Terra was a mistake. A mistake that will _never _happen again. Besides, she doesn't know I exist, remember?"

Cyborg shrugged. "True as that may be, you should still be careful. You know Rob's been on edge since Tokyo."

Beast Boy laughed sarcastically. "Ha! Who cares what Robin thinks? Ashley is perfect, and that is what's important!"

"Okay," Cyborg said with a wave of his hand. "So, Ashley's so perfect that you don't know how to approach her?"

Beast Boy nodded sadly. "Yeah," he said. "That's why I desperately need Raven's help! She's good at that stuff. Though for a while I didn't believe her. But then she set up Robin and Starfire's first official date, and they had the best date ever, and I knew that she _had _to help me!"

"I think I know why Raven didn't help you," Cyborg said with a smirk.

Beast Boy snapped to attention. "Really? Why?"

"Because she owes you nothing," Cyborg explained. "She saves you all the time when we're saving the city, right?"

Beast Boy nodded.

"Well, you've never done anything in return for her. She probably feels cheated. So, why should she help you know?"

Beast Boy frowned. "When you put it like that, you make me seem like a loser."

"Especially at video games," Cyborg muttered under his breath.

Beast Boy heard and glared at him. "Please help me," he begged.

Cyborg rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I think I've got it," he said after a moment. "But it's not going to be easy. Are you willing to work hard?"

Beast Boy sighed. "Do I _have _to?" he said reproachfully. "I mean, I might mess up."

"I just won't tell you the plan," Cyborg said, "since you don't want to do any work."

Beast Boy ran his hand through his hair. "Fine," he said finally. "What's the plan?"

"First things first," Cyborg said. "How good are you at reading magic symbols? AS well as writing them?"

"Horrible," Beast Boy answered instantly.

Cyborg face palmed. "Oh well," he said. "We'll have to make do with my minor knowledge of them."

"I didn't know you had any knowledge of them," Beast Boy said in puzzlement.

Cyborg sighed. "Raven showed me some of them in an attempt to enchant the T-Car. But that's off topic."

"Oh, is that the real reason the garage exploded?" Beast Boy said with a snicker.

Cyborg grimaced. "Yeah," he admitted. "But as I said, that's not significant. Anyways, we need to create the ultimate battle arena. There will materials embedded in the walls that drain her powers. It'll be much easier to defeat her. Actually, I don't think you can beat her even when her powers are weakened, but I have nothing to lose."

"Wait, what?!" Beast Boy sputtered. "I have to fight _Raven_?! Cy, that's a death wish!"

"That's one of the reasons this idea came to mind," Cyborg said with a grin. "But I'm kidding. Mostly. You _will _have to fight her, but it's mostly a matter of flying to the top."

Beast Boy sighed in relief. Then he frowned. "Wait, can you finish explaining? I don't understand what you mean by 'fly to the top'."

Cyborg laughed. "It's simple. I'm going to put a bell of some sort on the ceiling of the battle arena that _we _– not I, _we_, - are going to build. First one to reach the top and ring the bell wins."

"It's really that simple?" Beast Boy said hopefully.

Cyborg smirked. "Unless you want me to make it harder."

Beast Boy quickly shook his head. "I'm good," he said. "Um, is that all?"

Cyborg nodded. It was silent.

"I think you forgot a part," Beast Boy announced. "How am I supposed to get Raven to fight me? She isn't too pleased with me right now. To be frank, she hates me. Like, _a lot_."

Cyborg smiled. "That's right," he said. "And that's why she's going to fight you."

"Wait, you actually want her to kill me? I thought you were joking!"

Cyborg rolled his eyes, exasperated. "BB," he said, trying to be patient, "if you're mad at someone, what do you want to do them?"

"Beat them up," was the instant response. It was followed by an _Ah _of realization.

"I get it!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "She's mad at me, so she'll really want to beat me up!"

Cyborg held back a laugh. "For the magic proof room, well, we're going to have to build that from scratch."

"Wait," Beast Boy said again, raising a hand to silence his friend. "What about the whole Trigon deal? Do we still have that room? It nullified Raven's powers so she couldn't be tracked, right?"

Cyborg nodded thoughtfully. "I think we do," he said. "It should still work, actually. All we have to do is hide the symbols on the walls."

The boys high-fived each other.

"Sweet!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "Let's go!"

They ran to the secret room and began to paint over the symbols on the walls. While they were painting, Beast Boy asked his friend, "Okay, so let's say we get Raven to fight me. How do we get Raven to help me _after _the fight?"

"Just make a bet," Cyborg said with a wave of his hand. "She'll feel like there's no way she can lose to _you_, so she'll accept. Then, due to my amazing tech, you'll fight her and win. She'll be forced to help you."

"Nice," Beast Boy said, smiling. "This is going to be great."

Not bad for a first chapter, right? Please leave a review so I know how I'm doing. Thanks, and I hope you're really liking the story! 


	2. Chapter 2

Hello everyone! Since this story seems to be pretty well-liked, I decided to upload this chapter early-ish. I hope you guys like it!

Barracade: Actually, I put on my story writing fedora! LOL I'm glad you like this story, and I hope this chapter pleases you. And I always have fun with my writing! Seriously, why would I write if I didn't want to? And homework doesn't count. ;-p

Guest: Yay! You enjoyed the first chapter! I hope this chapter is satisfactory to you as well.

Jovan2013: Will BB win? Read to find out! :D

Disclaimer: If I owned Teen Titans, I wouldn't have to write fanfiction. My fanfiction would be episodes on television.

Chapter Two

"Okay, BB," Cyborg said. "I'll be waiting around the corner. You go talk to Raven."

"Why me?" Beast Boy complained.

Cyborg rolled his eyes. As smart as Beast Boy could be, there were times when Cyborg wanted to hit him on the head. "Because you're the one who needs Raven's help."

Beast Boy nodded, understanding. "Then why are you waiting around the corner? Are you afraid of Raven?"

Cyborg nodded, dead serious.

Beast Boy laughed. "Dude, you're afraid of Raven? Ha!"

Cyborg glared at his friend. "Raven is extremely angry at you right now. I don't want to be in the vicinity if she explodes."

Beast Boy gulped. "Well, aren't you a ray of sunshine," he grumbled.

Cyborg shoved him towards the door to Raven's room before ducking behind the corner.

_You can do this, BB, _he told himself. _She won't kill you. Probably. Robin would get mad. And nothing is scarier than an angry Robin. Except maybe an angry Starfire. _

He took a deep breath and readied himself to knock on the door. He lifted his hand and tried to knock. But it wouldn't move. He frowned and tried to move it. His hand refused to touch the door. From around the corner, Cyborg face palmed.

"Good grief," he muttered.

Beast Boy continued to force his hand towards the door.

_Just a little closer, _he thought. He kept hesitating. _Why can't I do this? Raven isn't __**that **__terrifying! _

He still wasn't making any progress. Cyborg poked his head out from around the corner.

"Beast Boy," he hissed. "Get a grip, man! It's for Ashley!"

His words slapped Beast Boy in the face.

"It's for Ashley," he breathed.

He knocked on the door. It opened a crack. A violet eye shone in the darkness. It looked quite frightening. Raven glared at Beast Boy.

"What?" she growled. "You'd better have a good reason for disturbing me." _If he doesn't I'm throwing him out the window. This time, into the ocean. _

Beast Boy put his most innocent look on his face.

"I was wondering if you wanted to train with me," he said hopefully. "After our dispute, I thought it would be a good way to let our feelings go."

"Unless you want Titans Tower to blow up, you don't want me to 'feel'," she replied.

She slammed the door in his face. Around the corner, Cyborg bit his tongue in an effort to hold back laughter. Beast Boy tried not to lose his temper.

_Getting mad won't help. Play to her weakness. Which is, unfortunately, her hatred of me. I should be thankful, but whatever. _

"Well, if you're too _scared_," he drawled. "I mean, we all know you can't beat me, but I thought you'd be more courageous than _that_."

Inside her room, Raven whispered to herself, "Don't fall for it. He's trying to get to you. Don't let him inside your head."

But he continued to insult her. "You emotions must be getting in the way of your powers again. By emotions, we all know that it's fear. Fear of me beating you."

Raven's door opened slightly again. "I am _not _afraid of you," she said darkly. "You're afraid of _me_, aren't you?"

Beast Boy shook his head, smiling. "If I was afraid of you, I wouldn't be challenging you to fight me. I could beat you any day."

"You wish," Raven said, preparing to shut her door again.

Beast Boy placed his foot to block it. "C'mon, Rae," he pleaded. "You know what, let's make a bet. If I beat you, you have to help me set up a date with Ashley, and if you beat me, I'll do anything you want."

Raven stopped trying to remove his foot from her doorway.

"Okay," she said. "If I beat you, you have to clean your bedroom _and _promise to leave me alone for two months."

Beast Boy didn't even hesitate before nodding and shaking her hand. "You've got yourself a deal."

Cyborg left from behind the corner and joined them, tying to act casual and nonchalant.

"Hey, dudes," he said. "How are you doing today?"

Beast Boy grinned wildly. "Raven and I made a little bet," he said. "A bet that I intend to win. I mean, there's no way Raven can beat me!"

Cyborg laughed. "Keep thinking that," he said. "It'll do you some good. In boosting your miniscule confidence, that is."

Beast Boy stuck his tongue out.

"You aren't a frog right now," Raven said, hands on her hips. "Keep your tongue in your mouth."

Cyborg snickered as Beast Boy turned scarlet.

"Let's just go fight," he muttered, heading towards the arena he and Cyborg had hastily remodeled.

"I suppose there's no way you can lose to him," Cyborg said, escorting Raven to the room.

"Why does this room look familiar?" Raven asked upon their arrival, her suspicions high.

"Familiar? What?" Beast Boy said nervously, scratching the back of his head. "This is a brand new room me and Cy built."

"It was originally for our eating contests," Cyborg added.

Raven's face turned slightly green at the thought. She didn't ask any more questions. The only reason Raven had thought the room had looked familiar to her was because of her sharp memory. To any other person, it looked brand new. Cyborg's remodeling skills did not disappoint. The room had no traces of magic symbols on the walls.

"So here's how it works," Cyborg said, trying to explain his idea. "There is a bell on the ceiling of this room, which I increased the height of. Instead of the original height of eight feet, it's now 30 feet high."

Raven glanced up. Sure enough, the ceiling was _way _up.

"What you have to," Cyborg continued, "is fly to the top and ring the bell. Simple enough?"

Raven nodded. Beast Boy shook his head. That earned him a smack from Raven.

"Slow down, Rae," Cyborg said. "The contest hasn't started yet. Beast Boy, stand there. No, not there. _There_. Not there, **_there_**."

Cyborg picked his friend up and put him in his square. Raven willingly walked into hers.

"Ready?" he yelled. "Set? Begin!"

He discreetly pulled the lever that he had been standing in front of. He then pushed a button on his wrist, activating his and Beast Boy's earpieces. Beast Boy turned into a bird and began to fly to the top. Raven began to levitate, but fond it slightly harder to connect to her powers.

_No biggie, _she told herself. _I'm just stressed. _

Beast Boy looked down and saw her gaining on him.

"Cy, crank up the level of nullification," he squawked.

Cyborg's translator let him know what Beast Boy was saying. He pushed the lever up more. Raven felt like a brick had been tied to her.

_That's a bit weird, _she thought.

She pushed it aside again and focused her energy. She soared up with a sudden burst of speed, surpassing Beast Boy. Beast Boy squawked in surprise. Cyborg watched as he tried to fly faster as well. He pushed the lever up even more.

Raven suddenly stopped in midair. She was sweating as she forced herself to stay in the air. _What's going on?! _

Beast Boy flew past her, nearing the ceiling. Raven concentrated and created a wall of dark energy in front of Beast Boy he halted in midair, unsure of what to do. Raven concentrated twice as intensely. Slowly but surely, she flew towards the bell.

"Cyborg, do something!" Beast Boy squawked.

Cyborg frantically looked at the lever. He pushed it back so far that it snapped. All magic from the room vanished, including the shield in front of Beast Boy.

Beast Boy soared to the top and rang the bell. He crowed in victory, then noticed Raven. She was paralyzed from the shock of her powers being depleted entirely. Her eyes shut, and she began to fall. Beast Boy grabbed her shoulders and carefully lowered her to the ground. He turned back human.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked Cyborg worriedly.

"Well," Cyborg said nervously, "I may have accidentally broken the lever that lowered and raised the amount of magic in the room while it was on the no magic side."

Beast Boy stared at his friend, wide –eyed. "Does that mean Raven has no powers? Like, forever?"

Cyborg didn't really know what to say, but decided on, "I don't know. The best thing we can do is get her out of here."

Beast Boy nodded and picked her up, bridal style. He carried her out, Cyborg behind him.

"Now what would Ashley say if she saw you carrying another girl like that?" he teased Beast Boy, who blushed.

"Ashley would say nothing, because she doesn't know I exist."

They ended up taking Raven back to her room.

"It's okay to bring her in, right?" they asked each other at the same time. Nervous laughter ensued.

Beast Boy hurriedly placed Raven on her bed. Then he and Cyborg high-tailed it out of there.

"Want to play Zombie Heroes 3.0?" Cyborg asked Beast Boy, who glumly shook his head.

"I can't focus," he said. "What if Raven doesn't get her powers back?"

Cyborg put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "The magic-nullification only existed in that room," he said. "She should get better."

Sure enough, in her bedroom, Raven had woken up.

"That little cheat," she growled, slamming her fist on her dresser. "He used a hypertransmatic nullifier to prevent my powers from working to their maximum!"

She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "I have to admit that it was a good idea. Well-played, Beast Boy, well-played."

She put her hood on and went into the living room.

"I guess I have to help you now, don't I?" she said.

Beast Boy jumped up from the couch eagerly. "Yep!" he exclaimed. "Let's go set up a date!"

He skipped into the hallway, then abruptly turned around. "Wait, where am I going?"

Raven smiled slyly. "You'll see. Just follow me." She led him through a maze of corridors to a wall.

"Really?" he said. "Wow. I'm _totally _impressed."

Raven lifted her fist menacingly.

"Not another word," she said.

She placed her palm on the wall and muttered, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

Nothing happened.

"Nice job, genius," she said angrily. "My powers aren't strong enough to open the door."

Beast Boy frowned. "Um, what am I supposed to do?"

Raven sighed. "We'll have to wait till tomorrow."

"No!" Beast Boy said. "No! Nononononononononono!"

Raven walked away.

"Now, whose fault is this?" she asked, leaving the complaining Beast Boy in the dust.

Done! Hope this chapter was okay. I don't think I did too badly, but why don't you tell me? Leave a review! :D


	3. Chapter 3

I'm sorry about the long wait! *Hides from angry mob. Realizes there's no one there.* Okay, I think a lot of people forgot I exist. XD Since I don't want people to kill me about taking forever to upload this, I'm just going to give you the chapter.

Jaggie: Thank you very much. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

TwilightLifemain: Your comment made me laugh! Beast Boy is very bad! :D Enjoy this chapter!

Adelaide: I'm glad you liked it! And of course you could never write like that. You're not me, you're **_you_**. You have your own writing style. Embrace it and write whatever and however you want!

dj25taz: I didn't update very soon, did I? Sorry about that! But I hope you like this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or Beast Boy's jokes. I heard the jokes while watching superchache39 in Race to the Moon/Mission to Mars.

Quick notice: When Raven is **pretending **to be Ashley, it will say 'Ashley' with single quotes. If it's actually Ashley speaking, it will just say Ashley (no single quotes!).

Chapter Three

Raven awoke to the sound of Beast Boy banging on her door.

"RAVEN!" he yelled. "GET UP! YOU NEED TO HELP ME SET UP A DATE WITH ASHLEY!"

Raven groaned and looked at the clock on her nightstand. It read: 3:01 am. Raven felt anger mounting up inside of her. She grabbed her cloak and put it on, then opened her door. Beast Boy was standing there, acting very innocent.

"So," he said. "Ready to start?"

She glared at him for a moment, then half-shouted, "Who the heck do you think you are?! Nobody in their right mind gets up at 3 o'clock in the morning to set up a date!"

"Well, I do," he said. "And everyone knows I'm not in my right mind. So let's go."

He grabbed her arm and tried to drag her away. With her anger fueling her powers, she encased everything but his head in dark energy.

"Hey!" he yelped. "What are you doing to me?"

She smiled evilly, then brought him into the living room. "Do you see this window?" she asked.

He gulped, then nodded.

"Well, it has really thin glass. Do you want to be the one who breaks it?"

He quickly shook his head.

"Good. I think I've made my point. I'm going back to bed, and don't you dare try to wake me up any earlier than 6 o'clock."

He nodded again, and she put him down. As she went back to her bedroom, she muttered, "Boys."

In the living room, Beast Boy sighed and sat on the couch.

"Raven is a big meanie," he said with a pout. "Why'd she have to make such a big deal about me waking her up early?"

He sighed again and looked at his watch. It was now 3:12. He had over 2 hours to waste before he could get her up. He grabbed the TV remote off the table and turned the television on.

_I guess only one good thing came out of this, _he thought as he flipped channels. _It looks like Raven's powers are back! _

His attention turned to the television when his favorite show came on. _Well, maybe two good things! _

He got so lost in watching his show that before he knew it, it was 6 o'clock.

"Time to wake up Raven!" he cheered, turning off the TV.

He marched to her room, then quietly knocked on the door. Inside her bedroom, Raven sighed. She hadn't gotten much sleep. All she could think about was how she wished she had never taken that bet.

_Too late now. _

She got out of her bed for the second time and grabbed her cloak. She opened her door, when Beast Boy was standing. Raven smiled in her head.

_He looks nervous. Good. I hope he learned his lesson. _

"Are you ready now?" he asked.

She nodded. They went back to the blank wall at the end of the hallway. Beast Boy watched curiously as she muttered, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

This time, something _did _happen. The wall disappeared, revealing a very large room. It was dark, and he couldn't see what was inside.

"Go on in," she said to him. He took a step back.

"Why? Is this some sort of trick?"

She sighed. "Look, do you want the lesson or not? Just go in."

He glanced at her one last time before going in. "What is this place? And why's there nothing in here?" he asked.

"This is a simulation room. Cyborg made it empty to keep nothing from interfering with my powers as I meditated, and to improve how realistic the simulation is," Raven replied. "There's only one thing in here."

She led him to a little control booth in the corner. She pushed a button, and suddenly the room changed.

"Whoa," Beast Boy said in amazement. The walls of the room flickered, changing from gray to a cheerful park.

"You saw this girl at the park, right?" Raven asked, fiddling with a few buttons and levers.

"Yup," Beast Boy said with a grin. "This is so cool!"

"Glad you like it," Raven said wryly. "Are you ready for your lesson or not?"

"Oh, I'm ready," he replied enthusiastically. "So, what are you going to teach me first?"

"Lesson One: The Introduction," Raven announced. "Let's see what you can do."

"What do you mean?" Beast Boy asked, puzzled.

Raven rolled her eyes. "Come up to me and introduce yourself."

"Oh. I knew that."

"Just do what I said!"

"Okay, fine," he said, slightly annoyed. "Do you want me to act like you're Ashley?"

Raven nodded. "Let me explain a bit more. If I was Ashley, how would you approach me? What would you say? How would you act?"

Beast Boy took a deep breath, then said, "Yo, girl. Wassup?"

He smoothed his hair, trying to act 'cool'.

"Not much," Raven replied, doing and excellent peppy girl impression. "I'm Ashley. What's your name?"

"I'm Beast Man," he answered smoothly.

'Ashley' giggled. "Nice to meet you, Beast Man."

"It was even nicer to meet you," he said, winking pathetically at her.

'Ashley' smiled again. "See you around, Beast Man."

That signaled the end of their little scene.

"So, how'd I do?" Beast Boy asked after a moment.

"Terrible," Raven said flatly.

"Hey!" he protested. "That's not – "

"Be quiet," Raven ordered, interrupting his rant. "I am your instructor, am I not? You wanted this lesson, and constructive criticism comes with it. Are you ready to listen?"

He nodded, feeling slightly remorseful.

"Good," she said. "What you did wrong was that you played it too thick. You were not very 'normal', or whatever. But it was also partially my fault."

"How?" he asked curiously. Raven rarely admitted to mistakes.

"I'm getting to that," she said, irritated. "I acted out Ashley's best possible reaction to you acting like that. From now on, I'll act out the worst possible reaction. Oh, and one more thing. Don't lie."

He blushed. "Can we go again?"

"Do it right or do it again," she said simply.

He readied himself, then said, "Hey. The name's Beast Boy. Don't you think animals are the greatest things on Earth?"

"Erm, hi," 'Ashley' responded. "I'm Ashley. And I guess animals are cool or whatever. Why do you want to know?"

"Because I believe animals are the peak of existence," he said. "Catch you – "

"Okay, okay, stop," "Ashley' said, becoming Raven again. "What are you doing? That was far too blunt. I admire your method of straightforwardness, but it's not right for this situation. Do you want to scare the girl away?"

Raven knew she was being a bit too harsh, but he had far too big of an ego at the moment. Beast Boy lowered his head in shame.

"No," he admitted. "I just want to get this perfect. Argh, why is this so hard?!"

Raven rolled her eyes.

"Look, it's not that hard," she said. "You're over thinking it. Since I had never believed that you could think, you can take that remark in stride, if you want. You're also making it harder than it needs to be by not listening to me. So, for once in your life, _listen_."

Beast Boy stood up straight and looked at Raven, green eyes meeting violet.

"I'm ready," he said. "I really like Ashley, and I know that you can help me get her to notice me."

He thought he saw a hint of a smile cross Raven's lips, but it vanished as quickly as it came.

"Good," she said. "I can tell as well that you really like this girl a lot. The best way to capture her attention is to be yourself. Do whatever feels natural. Crack on of your lame jokes, if you must."

She winced, hoping he wouldn't take her advice on that part. At least not around her.

"Really?" he said, eyes wide with happiness. "Yay!"

Raven rolled her eyes for the hundredth time. "Let's just do this."

Beast Boy slowly inhaled, then released the air gradually.

"Hi," he said to 'Ashley'. "I'm Beast Boy. But if BB's easier for you to say, I don't mind."

He smiled softly. 'Ashley' grinned back.

"I'm Ashley. I may call you Beast Boy for a while, but I'm sure I'll eventually call you BB."

"Sweet," he beamed. "Are you saying that you want to hang out with me?"

'Ashley' shrugged. "Maybe. It depends on your attitude."

Beast Boy laughed. "I gotcha. How about a joke?"

Raven winced on the inside, but 'Ashley' simply grinned. "Sure. It had better be funny!"

Beast Boy gulped. "Um, why did the pirate go to the Caribbean?"

'Ashley' frowned, looking like she was in deep thought. "I don't know. Why?"

"He was looking for some Arr and Arr!" he said. "Ba dum tiss!"

'Ashley' giggled. "Cute sound effects. And the joke wasn't too bad either. See you around, BB."

They broke out of character.

"How did I do?" he asked hopefully.

Raven didn't smile, but her eyes showed her satisfaction.

"Not bad," she said. "Not bad at all. _I_ think you're ready. But the real question is, do _you _think you're ready?"

Beast Boy looked at the ground, the faced Raven again. "I'm ready."

She opened a portal to the real park. He looked at it, took a step forward, and then hesitated.

"What if something goes wrong?" he asked. "What if I mess up?"

"I'm sure you will," Raven said matter-of-factly.

He frowned, but she didn't seem to notice.

"But don't worry about it," she continued. "I'll be there, hiding behind a tree or something."

"What's that supposed to be?" he said, snickering. "Camouflage?"

Raven glared at him.

"Just go through the portal," she snapped.

He quickly went through, and she followed. He looked around the park, and spotted the pretty blonde sitting underneath a tree. He glanced at Raven one last time, then went up to the girl.

"Hi," he said, feeling shy. "I'm Beast Boy, or BB, if you want to call me that. What's your name?"

The blonde smiled, showing her perfectly straight and bright white teeth.

"I'm Ashley," she said. "It's nice to meet you, Beast Boy."

"I was wondering if maybe you wanted to hang out with me sometime," he said, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"Sure!" she said, smiling again. "Only as friends, of course."

"Cool!" he exclaimed. "I know some jokes! Do you want to hear one?"

Ashley shrugged. "Are they funny?"

Beast Boy nodded eagerly. "I think they're funny, though a few of my other friends don't."

Raven, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, rolled her eyes. She knew a subtle hint when she heard it. She turned her attention back to their conversation.

"Okay," Beast Boy said. "What do you call an alligator in a vest?"

Ashley bit her lip, thinking. "Hmm….. I don't know. What _do _you call an alligator in a vest?"

"I'm going to ignore that bit of sarcasm," he said with a wink. "You call it….. An INVESTIGATOR!"

He burst out laughing. Ashley felt herself join in.

_She's got such a pretty laugh, _he thought in amazement.

Raven heard his thoughts, and almost blushed in embarrassment. _I've got to get a grip on that, _she chided herself.

She glanced at the two one last time, then returned to Titans Tower through a portal.

Beast Boy heard the quiet noise as she left, and thought, _Thank you. _

Raven secretly smiled in her room, safe from prying eyes that might see her showing such an uncharacteristic emotion.

Um, did that last part make sense? I don't know. Anyways, hope you liked this long-awaited chapter, and please review. It always makes me happy! Though I don't really deserve any reviews for making you guys wait so long. Still, more reviews can ensure a sooner update (most of the time)! :D :D :D


	4. Chapter 4

*Laughs nervously* Okay. Time to fess up. I HAVE BEEN NEGLECTING FANFICTION FOR 6 MONTHS! AND THIS STORY FOR EVEN LONGER! I AM SO SO SO SO SO SORRY! I have been ridiculously busy. I have had so much schoolwork and the computer hasn't been working and I was cast as one of the lead roles in the Christmas musical and – okay I'll stop. BUT THERE IS GOOD NEWS! I now have a laptop that I can more easily update from, so expect sooner updates. Onto the story!

What a Pretty Little Nightmare: I'm glad you like the story! I apologize for taking so long to update, but I hope this chapter pleases you! If you're still reading it…..

Cool: That one word made me feel so good! Enjoy the chapter!

Barracade: Hello Barracade! Glad you like my silly jokes (that aren't really mine). Hope you're still reading this! Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I know it's Christmastime (where I live), but I was not given the ownership of Teen Titans as a present.

Chapter Four

Beast Boy was doing his happy dance in his bedroom. Ashley had agreed to hang out with him! At long last! And by 'at long last' he meant after one visit. Well, one visit of actually speaking to her. He'd sort of spied on her several times before that. He couldn't help but wonder why, though.

_She's super-hot and probably rich. Not to mention really smart. I'm just a scrawny boy with green skin. What makes her so interested in me?_

A voice floated into his room. "Every girl that has ever liked you or even knows you has asked herself that same question several times a day, every day of the week, every week of the month, and every month of the year."

Beast Boy shot daggers at Raven with his eyes, who has just levitated in. "Thanks _so _much for the compliment."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Don't glare at people. It doesn't suit you. Or rather, it doesn't suit your face. You smile too much, and it doesn't match up to your personality. Besides," she smirked slightly. "Glaring at people is _my _job."

Beast Boy felt a grin creep onto his face. "Was that a joke, Raven?"

"I think it would be classified as a 'witty retort'."

"Are you sure? I think my classic humor is rubbing off on you!"

"Only in your dreams."

"And your nightmares."

It was Raven's turn to grin. "Now who's being rubbed off on? I sense some smart-alecky comments in your mind. Trying to copy me?"

Beast Boy sighed in mock defeat. "Alas! You caught me! Whatever can I do to have you forgive me for my terrible and heinous crime?"

Raven resisted the urge to slap him. "Don't talk like that. I know you haven't got a clue as to what you're saying. Or rather, what it means."

Beast Boy waggled his eyebrows. "Or do I?" He dramatically whipped a thesaurus out of his pocket. "Ever since I met Ashley, I've determined to become _slightly _smarter. Everyone believed it was a hopeless cause, but I _can _learn!"

"Enough with the movie trailer dramatic voice. Get to the point already."

"Well, what better place to start than with my vocabulary?"

"If you can keep it up after she breaks your heart, _then _I'll be impressed. I mean, for all you know, she's attracted to your stupidity. _If _she's actually attracted to you at all. I hate to break it you – well, I really don't care – but you aren't funny, you aren't particularly good-looking, and you aren't smart. There is almost no logical reason for _anyone _to be attracted to you."

Beast Boy cringed. That hurt. That _hurt. _All of his flaws, everything he tried to ignore about himself, everything he wished he could change, had just been pointed out coldly and harshly. Why was she so….. Mean?

Raven saw the pained look on his face, and it created one of her one. But she hid it. As always. Behind her mask. She couldn't feel any sympathy. She couldn't lose control. If he wanted to get the girl, if he truly wanted her help to get her, he had to face his flaws and overcome them. But she had been harsh. Maybe _too _harsh. But as she opened her mouth to apologize, he stopped her in her tracks.

"Gee, thanks Raven. Like I needed you to tell me all that. Don't you think I already _knew _that? I _know _I'm not the most handsome, or funny, or smartest guy in world. I _know _I'm not flawless. But I have good characteristics, too. I'm nice, I always help my friends, and I never give up. _Ever. _Which is why I'm not giving up on getting Ashley. And you know what? You may be smart and really pretty and always have a sarcastic-yet-funny comment waiting, but you aren't nice. And you never hang out with your friends. And you _always _give up. You thought you couldn't save the world. _I _knew you could. So don't get on my case when you have problems of your own!"

Raven knew she should have been outraged. She should have been beyond furious. She should have thrown him out the window a hundred times. And while she registered all of the insults he had hurled at her, only one thought was in her mind. _Did he just call me pretty?_

Beast Boy was flushing from his anger, but it faded until only his cheeks were colored pink. _Did I just admit that she was pretty?_

Raven took a deep breath. Now was not the time to feel angry or embarrassed. "I cannot believe I am about to say this, but you're right. I _do _have flaws. But yours are the ones we are about to turn into strengths. Let's move into the second lesson." She floated out his room, heading towards the secret simulation one.

Beast Boy watched her leave before standing up to follow her. "She's right," he murmured quietly to himself. But his words did not escape the sensitive ears of the sorceress.

"Aren't I always?"

He couldn't help but smile.

"Okay," Raven. "This is Lesson Two: Becoming Friends. This is a very important step, so you have to be serious." She stopped fiddling with the simulation control board and turned to face him. She rolled her eyes at the sight of him dancing around the room. "Does the word 'serious' mean nothing to you?" Despite her impatience at him acting so childish, she admired his ability to become so relaxed after a heated argument.

He grinned crookedly as he walked up to her. "Sorry! But no matter. I'm ready for the lesson! Agent BB01 reporting for duty, Commander!"

Raven resisted the urge to groan. She hated all of that spy garbage that he _loved. _"Please, just don't act stupid. I'm here to teach you, but I can't if you don't pay attention to anything I say."

Beast Boy took a deep breath, calming himself. Why was he so nervous? Perhaps it was the fact that Ashley had agreed to hang out with him and he didn't want to blow it. Yeah, that had to be it.

"Okay," he breathed. "I'm ready."

"Alright," she said. "Show me how you would approach Ashley again."

He cracked his knuckles, getting into character. He slowly sauntered up to 'Ashley'. "Hey. What's –"

Raven interrupted him. "Wrong. You have to let her come to you."

"Why? What if she ignores me, or pretends I don't exist?"

"Three things. 1. Ignoring you and pretending you don't exist are virtually the same thing. 2. You don't want to seem clingy. 3. If she's _really _interested in you, she'll come up to you again, and _maybe _flirt a little bit. But you don't want to flirt too much back. She might get the wrong impression."

"Oh. I knew that."

"Let's try again."

Raven took a deep breath and slid into the character of Ashley. Her normal self was pushed back as a preppy personality moved forward.

'Ashley' slowly sidled up to Beast Boy. "Hey! It's Beast Boy, right?"

Beast Boy grinned. "Yup! It's cool that you remember me." He tried to wink slyly at her, but it did not have the desired effect.

'Ashley' vanished and Raven came out. "Honestly, Beast Boy," she said with a sigh. "I told you last time to be yourself. And what part of 'becoming friends' do you not understand? You can't, quote on quote, 'hit' on her."

"But I don't _want _to be 'just friends'!" he complained. "I want to ask her out already!"

She sighed. He was pushing her patience to the limit. Not that he didn't do that every day….. "Beast Boy, there are 7 trillion nerves in the human body. You are capable of getting on every one of them. So go ahead, ask her out. But don't you _dare _come crying to me when she breaks your heart!"

He glared fiercely at her. "How do you know she's going to break my heart? She might actually like me, you know! Not everything is how _you _think, Raven. You are _not _Queen of the world!"

"Don't you think I know that I'm not Queen of the world? I am – I just –" She couldn't say she was afraid. But it was true. She was afraid of power. Her power. Power she might get from someone. She didn't want power. Not after almost destroying the world.

"And there you go again! Acting like you know everything! Your entire statement was so hypocritical. You're supposed to be the logical one, but all I see is someone who refuses to face the truth."

That was it. "Look who's talking, _Garfield Mark Logan. _You are the one who refuses to admit that a girl you've known for only a day would probably turn you down if you asked her out! So snap out of your daydream, because reality is harsh. I want to help you, but if you keep blinding yourself to the truth, I can't do anything."

Her words sank in, past his stubbornness, past his fear, past his worry. "You're right."

"I – what?"

"I said you're right. I'm rushing. I need to take my time. I won't get her if I ask her out now. So teach me." Inside, he was hoping for an apology from _her, _but she was too prideful.

"I'm sorry."

Or so he thought. He cracked a small smile, trying to ease the tension. "Whoa! It's a historic day! Raven's actually apologizing."

It was supposed to be a joke, and she could tell, but it arose something in her. _Do I really never apologize? _But her anger at him dissipated. "Let's continue. Take a deep breath and relax. Both of us."

He did as she said, and sure enough, he felt more ready.

"Now, I want you to act as if you are _already _friends. Not too close friends, but friends nonetheless. She'll feel a little more comfortable around you, which will make your friendship with her grow."

"And then lead to something more?"

"If you're lucky."

He laughed. "Okay, okay. Let's go."

She opened her mouth to say something, but he stopped her. "Don't worry, I remember that she needs to approach me first."

She smiled, but it disappeared quickly. Or rather, it turned into an overly-cheery peppy smile.

"Oh, hey!" 'Ashley' exclaimed. "You're Beast Boy, right?"

"Yep," he said, beaming. "And you're Ashley, if memory serves."

"You got it! We met at the park the other day."

"Yeah! Your memory is much better than mine. I kind of sort of only remember your name. I think I need to go back to that offer for you to hang out with me. You know, so we can get to know each other better."

'Ashley' laughed. "I'd like that very much."

Their role-play ended. As always, there was a bit of an awkward silence as they both got of their character, Raven more silenced than Beast Boy as she became her emotionless self again. Beast Boy, instead of looking at her, looked around the room, for the first time truly noticing how realistic the simulation was. It really looked like they were inside a pet shop!

_Better compliment Cyborg more often on his engineering skills. Who would've thought he had such an artist's touch? But wait….. Why are we in a pet shop?_

"Because Ashley's in a pet store right now. She's looking at the puppies." Raven wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Ugh." After her experience with the green alien dog, she did not have any fondness for four-legged creatures that drooled or licked faces.

"Um," Beast Boy said, interrupting her thoughts. "Did you read my mind?"

Raven rolled her eyes. "I'm not a mind-reader, Beast Boy. I'm an empath."

"Which means?"

"I can feel everyone's emotions, whether I want to or not. Simple thoughts, or ones fueled by extremely passionate or strong emotions, I can read. Just now, however, I couldn't read anything from you. But I felt your curiosity, and you were looking at the walls of the room, so I just put two and two together."

"That's cool!"

"Only a person who doesn't experience it firsthand can say that."

"What do you mean?"

She sighed. She didn't want to talk about it. Not now. Not with him. "I'll explain later. Now can I give you your notes before you go talk to Ashley?"

He didn't press further. "Yes! I need all the notes I can get!"

She smiled evilly. "Oh you do, do you?"

He gulped. "Well, um, you see, I only need enough so that I can talk to her before I'm seventy years old."

"If you're sure."

"I am."

"Okay then. Overall, that was pretty good. When you focus, you don't disappoint. If only you'd apply this passion to cleaning. But I digress. You need to slow down your pace a little bit. You kind of rushed into it, and came on a bit too strong. And don't be so afraid to show your emotions. They will lead you to your happy ending." Which was why she'd never have one.

"Is that all?"

"Of course not. But I can only hang around you for a certain amount of time every day, and I'm reaching my limit, so I think that's all you really need to focus on. You're free to go."

She waved her hand, and a portal to the pet store appeared. He prepared to step through, but he paused.

"Raven?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. I know I'm a lot to handle, but you're helping me anyways. Thank you."

He stepped through the portal, leaving her shocked behind him. A tiny smile crept onto her face. "You're welcome."

Beast Boy slowly walked through the pet store, admiring the animals as he searched for Ashley.

_Ooh! That lizard is so cool! And look at that bullfrog! And mice, fish, parakeets and – _

"Whoa!" He bumped into a gorgeous blonde girl. "I'm so sorry!" he apologized, helping her back onto her feet. "I didn't mean to – Ashley?" _There goes my chance at having her come up to me._

The girl beamed. "Oh, hey Beast Boy! Fancy seeing you here!"

"Yeah! What a surprise!" _Sort of. _

"Are you here to tell me another joke?"

"Not this time. Unless you want to hear one?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Is it any good?"

"Eh. I think I'll save it for another time.

"Are you saying you'll see me again?"

"Well, you've never taken me up on the offer to hang out with me. Want to do something?"

She frowned. "Are you trying to ask me out?"

He felt panicky for a second. This wasn't going as planned! Then he heard a voice in his head. And it wasn't his own. Or Zack, the old man who lived in his head.

**Don't freak out, Beast Boy. You'll scare her away. Calm down.**

_Raven?_

**Know any other telepathic person? Look, you need to kind of take control of the situation. Don't let her hold this above your head. Act like you aren't interested in her. But don't be like a three-year-old and act like girls are disgusting. Act as if you think she's someone who's a close friend and nothing more. You can't let her know you're interested in her yet.**

_Okay. Don't act interested. Got it._

"No," he said, casually brushing it off. "We only met a few days ago, remember? There's no need to rush things."

He half-expected her slap him then and there, but instead she smiled. "Smart boy. I appreciate that. How about we go get something to eat?"

"Do you like waffles? Because I know a really great chicken and waffles place."

"Is it Vaiféil?"

"Yeah! Um, how did you know that?"

She glared at him. "Just because I'm a slim girl doesn't mean I don't enjoy chicken and waffles."

He winced. "Sorry, sorry."

She sighed. "It's not your fault. Prejudice has been installed and even encouraged in this generation from the moment we were brought into this world. If we're going to hang out, Beast Boy, promise me one thing: you won't judge me until you know me."

He smiled. "Of course. But will you do the same?" _And should I do the same with Raven?_

She grinned. "You don't have a thing to worry about there."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go get some waffles!" _Maybe Raven deserves it. She's always judged so quickly and labeled as 'goth' or 'emo'. I guess I kind of always thought that, too. But maybe I should wait and actually get to know her. _

From inside her bedroom, Raven watched Beast Boy gleefully eat waffles with Ashley through her crystal ball. She felt pleased it had ended up well. Despite her cold exterior, she knew more about emotions than anyone. Love was the only one she really struggled with. She pressed it down more than any other, forced it into the darkest pit of oblivion in her mind.

**Which is very offensive, you know.**

She groaned. Love, unfortunately, also never knew how or when to stop pestering her.

_What do you want?_

**Nothing much. Any guys enter your life recently?**

_You already know the answer to that. _

**Of course. No one. Except ****_Beast Boy. _**

_What are you talking about? I'm teaching Beast Boy how to get a girl._

**Which will end up being you, right?**

_Um, no. Try skinny, blonde, rich, and actually happy. Any of those adjectives describe me?_

**No….. You could have used much kinder adjectives than that. Are you….. Jealous?**

_Me? Jealous? I don't have time for that. If you're really that curious ask my other emotions._

**Hmm….. I will! **

Raven sighed in relief as she felt Love leave the main activity of her mind.

_Finally. _

She took a deep breath to calm herself. Love's questions had gotten her worked up. But why? There was no reason to even bother them with second thoughts. She pushed her worries to the side and began meditating.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

Maybe she'd think about it tomorrow.

And that's the end of this chapter! I did my best to mix a bit of seriousness into this because their emotions play a key role in them (Beast Boy and Raven) really getting to know each other. But hopefully I didn't abandon comedy entirely. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Once again, I apologize for not being active with my fanfiction for 6 months. (6 months?! I am such a terrible person…..) I hope you continue to read my stories. Leave reviews if you think I'm worthy of one!


	5. Chapter 5

TWO CHAPTERS IN THREE DAYS! WOO-HOO! It took me HOURS to type this chapter, but I have no social life, so it's cool. Even so, I'm very happy I finished it.

ThommyPickles: I glad my story has had that impact on you! It's good to hear you're going to get back into fanfiction.

Crow The Mad: I'm very pleased you like this story and are eagerly awaiting this chapter. Enjoy the early update! (Early for me, anyways.)

DreAParker: That's a really clever plot twist! Wish I had thought of it! But I've already written the entire story on paper, so it's kind of hard for me to change it up now. Even so, _you _should use that plot and put it with different characters! I know I'd read it!

Nalash Polal Falayt: Thank you for those compliments! It really made my day.

Disclaimer: I can only dream of owning Teen Titans…..

Claimer: I should have been doing these before! I _do _own Ashley, so please ask me if you want to use her. I own the plot of this fic as well, so if it's stolen, the thief shall FACE MY WRATH!

Chapter Five

"RAVEN!" Beast Boy shouted, pounding on her door. "IT'S TIME FOR MY NEXT LESSON!"

Raven sighed as she put down a vial filled with silver dust extract. "Okay, Beast Boy. I know."

"WELL WHY AREN'T YOU COMING?"

She resisted the urge to scream at him as she snapped her fingers, throwing her door open. "Look," she hissed. "I am in the middle of a very complex spell, so if you want your next lesson, no, scratch that, if you want to _live, _then you will leave me alone until I finish it."

He sighed. "Okay, fine. But what do I do as I wait?"

"Go play your stupid video games or something. Just rot your brain with electronics in general. Or, if you want to learn, read a book."

Beast Boy made a pouty face. "I can't! Cyborg is playing single player mode right now, so I can't join. And I don't like reading."

Raven glared at him. "Don't say that you don't like reading. At least, don't say it in front of me. Go watch Cyborg play the game or whatever."

"He's mad at me because I scratched the T-Car."

"Go paint your nails with Starfire."

"Do you think I'm a girl? I don't paint my nails!"

"Go train in the gym with Robin."

"I just don't feel like it."

Raven sighed and turned to glare at him. "Look, do whatever you want, just leave me alone. I need to concentrate if I'm going to get this spell right and not blow up the tower. So just stare at the wall."

He frowned but turned and began staring at the wall.

_The wall is so boring. It's purple. Sort of. Kind of blue? Maybe black? Gray? Geez, it sure is depressing. Has she heard of the word 'color' before? Maybe some green. Green is cool. But less dark colors. Not neon, because Raven would kill me, but something with a little more cheer. And surely Cyborg has some spray paint to – Hey! Maybe she'd be nicer if her room was more colorful!_

"Beast Boy, the color of my room does not relate in any way to my personality. And if you even _try _to spray paint my room, I won't be happy, even in the slightest."

He frowned and bit his lip as he tried to think of a comeback. "Well, um, are you saying that, erm, you're happy most of the time?"

Raven shook her head. "Of course not. And that wasn't too bad of a retort, just poorly delivered. So please just be quiet and continue staring at the wall."

"But the wall is _boring!_"

"Then find something more interesting to do. I'm not forcing you to stay in here."

"How about I help you?"

"What?"

"I said, how about I help you? I don't know anything about magic, but I _can _read."

"You can't read these symbols. They're an ancient form of writing, only readable by….. Dark beings."

"Demons?"

"No. I am not a demon. Don't call me that!"

"I didn't say you were. Calm down."

"It's just….." She turned away from him, not able to bear looking at him. She hated being vulnerable. She _despised _it. Even worse, she despised pity. But this was her weakness. "I _am _a demon. And I can't hide it." She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Raven, you are _not _a demon. You may have demon blood in you or whatever, but you are not a demon. You don't act in the slightest like your father did. I know I call you mean and cold and horrible all the time, but you really do have a heart of gold."

She looked at him, and she saw honesty written all over his face. And even better, she _felt _honesty in him. "Thank you," she murmured.

He smiled at her. "You're welcome. And I meant it."

She stood up and brushed herself off. "You know what, I do need a little help. Plus, the sooner we finish this, the sooner we get to your lesson."

He grinned eagerly. "Really?"

"Yeah. You can hand me ingredients. I still don't trust you to read any magic symbols."

"I'd probably turn us all into frogs."

"Only Starfire and I would mind. You boys wouldn't care."

"Yes we would! Well, _I _wouldn't. I would be able to return to human form."

"Such a shame. Now I can't make you my personal frog servant."

"Would you feed me flies? I'd stay if you did."

"Maybe. Maybe not. But enough of that. Let's get to work." She handed him the vial of silver dust. "This is silver dust extract. Mix it with this." She handed him another vial, this one filled with a gold liquid, and an empty bowl.

He sat on the floor and poured both into the bowl. "Um, do you have anything for me to mix it with?"

She handed him a bronze stirring spoon. "Here's a key note about mixing metals if you want to know: if you have two higher metals, always pick one lower but can still be considered one of status to mix them. After the first two ingredients are mixed, you can use the stirrer for all other ingredients. Try it. There should be green sparks."

He stirred it, and sure enough, it created green sparks. "Cool!"

"Not just cool, freezing. But don't touch it. It feels like dry ice; so cold it's hot."

"You've touched dry ice?"

"I do what I must for spells." She never thought she'd admit that. "If I have to touch something with my bare skin, I will, because in the end, the spell benefits us and could even save our lives."

"Speaking of which, what spell _are _we making?"

"A truth serum."

"Why? Is someone keeping important secrets?" He gasped. "Oh! I know! We'll give it to Slade once we capture him!"

She shrugged in response. "It's always good to have some on hand. Everyone has a different use for it. I'm going to use it on myself. Robin uses it on villains. Cyborg uses an altered version with a computer chip in it to fix any broken technology. Starfire uses it on Silkie."

His brow furrowed in confusion. "How does she understand what Silkie says?"

Raven smiled slightly at him. "Do you not remember how Tamaraneans learn new languages?"

His eyes widened. "_Oh_. Is _that_ what she did?"

She nodded. "Yep."

Only one thought remained in his mind as he continued to stir the concoction. _Ew. _

Raven noticed the disgusted expression on his face from the corner of her eye. _Ha. _She walked to the bookcase in her room and took a book off the shelf. _Is this it? _She studied the title. _No. Wrong edition. _She slid it back onto the shelf. Spells were a risky and dangerous business. Any mispronunciation, mistranslation, or incorrect ingredient could spell death for its enchanter. She searched the shelf more until she found it. Truth Serums, Elixirs, and Chews. This version contained the more exotic ingredients to create the serums. Or rather, the more _truthful _serums. The one she was making would even prevent people from avoiding the question asked, no matter how strong their mind was. If truth was wanted, then truth would be given.

_But I can't allow any to be administered to me. Or allow Beast Boy to keep any. Who knows the pranks he would try to pull? _

"So, Rae –"

"Don't call me that."

He continued as if she'd never spoken. "Can I keep some of this? I could pull so many pranks!" He noticed her giving him the evil eye. "Um, I mean, it might come in handy."

"Beast Boy," she said, warning him. "This is the most potent truth serum ever created. _You cannot abuse its power._"

"Do you have a less potent one I could have?"

She sighed in exasperation. "Are you not understanding what I'm saying? Truth serums are dangerous, even the weak ones. They can make a person reveal their darkest secrets, things they push to the darkest pit of blackness in their mind. They can make the most confident and courageous person get down on their knees and plead for mercy. They can expose truths that never should have been remembered. The dark things they reveal are food for….. Demons. For dark creatures. Would you like me to demonstrate what they can _really _do?"

He shook his head quickly. "No thanks. I'd rather not see their dark side. But can't they do _good _things, too?"

Raven studied his expression, trying to see what he was trying to accomplish. No such luck. His poker face was pretty good, and he was shielding his emotions well. "How about this: once we've made this strong one, I show you what the weakest one does."

"Weakest and 2nd weakest?"

"Fine. But you have to know that the effects of the weakest vs the 2nd weakest are _very _different."

"Okay! Now let's finish this one. What do you need me to do now?"

She handed him two more vials. "Mix this magnesium into what you already have, the dust this copper over it. _Don't _mix the copper, or else it'll –"

"Explode?!"

"No. It will turn into acid and burn through the bowl, possible burning holes in your hands."

"Oh. Okay then." He very carefully mixed in the magnesium, then put a light dusting of the copper over it, being careful not to mix it in. "Are there supposed to be red sparks?"

"Yes. It means the proper temperature was reached. Now I need you to pour that over this," she handed him a bowl with an iridescent liquid in it, "wait a few seconds, then stir it. That will prevent the copper from turning the entire thing into acid."

He took his bowl and carefully poured it over Raven's. After a couple moments pause he stirred with the bronze stirrer. "Now it's shooting blue sparks. Is that good?"

"Perfect." She took the bowl from him and poured the concoction into a larger vial. "Now I have chant the incantation. It is of the utmost importance that you don't disturb me, Beast Boy. If I make a mistake, I will die or be forced into something worse than death. You will either remain perfectly unscathed or face a fate similar to mine. Since you helped me make this, it would probably be the latter. So here's my warning: Be. Quiet."

He gulped. "Gotcha."

She nodded and opened her book. She was nervous. Every time she attempted a new spell she was worried she was fail. But now she had someone else she had to succeed for. _Beast Boy. His life is in my hands. _If she failed, she would prevent him from having a future. She couldn't fail.

She began to chant slowly. "Is Earth fírinne. Air tá fírinne. Is é Uisce fírinne. Is Dóiteáin fírinne. Eilimintí den chroí, fhírinne thabhairt do gach níos uair amháin!"

_Part one complete._

She snapped her fingers. "Gaoithe." A breeze started up in the room.

She waved her hand. "Tine." A small fire lit on the floor.

She slowly clenched her fist. "Uisce." Beads of water swirled around the fire.

She took the vial of earth metals and poured them into the fire. "Cré."

_Part two complete. _

She resumed the standard chant, ready to create the real serum. "Le chéile na heilimintí, a dhéanamh Empower fírinne. Nocht an fhírinne, roimh sé caillte i gcumhacht!"

The mixture she and Beast Boy had created turned a deep purple and she knew it was almost done. She now had to seal the enchantment, and with the simplest incantation possible: her own. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos! Azarath Metrion Zinthos! Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" The elements all converged in the fire and imploded. All that was left was a small vial full of indigo liquid. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"Did it work?"

She started, surprised. She'd almost forgotten he was there. "I think so. We aren't dead, so it seems okay. But don't touch it. It has to cool for an hour."

He frowned. "Will it kill me if I touch it?"

"It will not kill you, but it will be extremely painful. Do you really want to experiment with it, Beast Boy?"

"Not really."

"Good. Now, I'm reaching my limit of hanging out with you per day. So do you want to experiment with truth serums or have the third lesson?" _He wants the lesson, I'm sure. _

Beast Boy wasn't sure what he wanted. A week ago he would have said he wanted the third lesson, but now….. He didn't know. He kind of wanted to spend time with Raven. He felt his cheeks turn crimson, but he decided to go with his decision. "Let's experiment with truth serums. I can't have Ashley thinking I'm clingy, can I?"

She blushed lightly, having heard parts of his thoughts. Did he really want to hang out with her? "Well, um, okay. Let's go to the simulation room." She quickly took two small vials out of her spell cabinet. "Come on."

He followed her as they headed towards the simulation room. Once inside, she sat on the floor, and he followed suit.

"First things first," she began, "we need to set some basic rules for this. Once we have both administered the truth serum, we can ask each other three questions."

He winked at her. "Any three questions?"

She sighed. "I'm probably going to regret this, but yes, any three questions, and we'll go back and forth with them. Ready?"

He nodded.

"Okay. Drip three drops of this into your mouth. This is the weakest serum."

He did as she instructed, and wow! It tasted so bitter. Well, bittersweet. "Ew," he complained, pinching his nose. "Why couldn't it taste like tofu?"

"It tastes like your most terrible truth. Or rather, what _you _believe your most terrible truth is. How did it taste to you?"

"Bittersweet."

"That means whatever your worst truth is, it's something you don't want to admit, but it can be good in the end, or it was once good."

"And because you had the truth serum, that must be true, right?"

"Yes. One quick thing about this serum, because it's the weakest, it _is _possible for a person to merely avoid the questions asked or only answer them partially."

"Okay. So who's going first?"

"You can, if you want."

He beamed. "I _do _want to go first! How'd you know?"

She rolled her eyes. "Is that your first question?"

Flustered, he quickly shook his head. "No, no. My first question is: what is your biggest fear?"

Raven bit her lip. She didn't really want to answer that question. It was kind of personal. But even if she didn't answer it now, he'd ask her again once she had the more potent serum. Best to push it off, though. "My greatest fear is one I don't care to admit."

Beast Boy glared at her, and she shrugged. "Really, Rae? You call that an answer?"

"Is that your second question?"

"No! Stop doing that!"

"Stop griping."

"Just go already."

"Fine. My first question: why do you hit on every attractive girl that comes your way?"

He flushed crimson. She knew just what question to ask that would embarrass him! But he'd be courageous. _He'd _answer it fully. "Unlike you, Raven, _I'm _going to actually answer the question asked. First off: I _don't _hit on every attractive girl I meet. I haven't hit on Starfire, the lady at the video game store, you, Megan, the tofu sushi lady, Alexandria, or – okay there's a lot of people I find attractive that I haven't hit on. Anyways, I hit on _some _attractive girls because A. they're attractive, duh; B. they're fun; and C. they're kind."

Raven blushed. _There he goes again, saying I'm attractive. _"I suppose there's a bit of reason behind that. Alright, what's your second question?"

"2. What's on your mind right now?"

Her cheeks darkened even more, if that was possible. _Do I really need to tell him what I'm thinking? _There was no use drowning in cowardice. But best to deliver it in her most monotonous, flat voice. "I'm wondering why you called me attractive."

"Oh." He blushed as dark red as her. "Well, you are very attractive, Raven. Many people have said so."

She gave him a small smile. "Thanks. Now, my second question is: Have you read Harry Potter?" _Randomness is a tactic best used sparingly, but I've got to loosen him up before he has the other serum._

"Um, no. I'm not particularly interested in it.

"Or are the books too long and complicated for your small mind to comprehend?"

"Yeah, that too. Ready for my last question?"

She nodded.

"Okay. What is your favorite activity in the world to do?"

She answered without missing a beat. "Hang out with my friends."

His jaw dropped. "Really? I thought it would be meditating or reading or drinking herbal tea or something!"

She shook her head. "Nope. Contrary to what most of you think, I _do _enjoy limited time in everyone's company."

"You need to actually socialize when you hang out with us! You need to play video games, or talk more, or –" He covered his mouth, and she smirked.

"Be careful. Even though this truth serum is weak, it encourages being talkative. I don't need you spilling unnecessary secrets to me."

He nodded, seemingly afraid to speak.

"Your last question from me is: what is your favorite Broadway musical?"

He hesitated, thinking. "Oh, um, probably the new one."

"What's it called?"

"Hamilton. It's about Alexander Hamilton overall, and it describes what he did with the Revolutionary War and the beginning of America."

"Yes. I do believe I've heard of it. I appreciate the strong female leads in it."

"I like the rap music."

"To each his own."

Beast Boy sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. "So how do you get the serum to wear off?"

She snapped her fingers and a small portal appeared. "Well, you can wait it out, or," she reached inside the portal and pulled out a small bottle, "drip two drops of lemon juice down your throat."

He made a face, not pleased with the prospect. "Ew."

She shrugged. "It's not so bad. You can't taste it because it's down your throat."

He shuddered. "Fine. I'll do it first." She handed him the bottle, and he hesitantly dripped two drops down his throat. "Ick! It's bitter!"

She rolled her eyes. "Nice job, genius. It's lemon juice. What did you expect?"

"I don't know. Really sugary and sweet?"

"Just give it here." He handed her the bottle and she proceeded to drip two drops down her own throat. "It's not even that bad, Beast Boy. You are such a drama queen."

"That's _Mr. _Drama Queen to you!"

She sighed in exasperation, though she was slightly humored by his statement. "Whatever. Now, are you ready for the other serum?"

"Yes."

"Remember that with this one, it is nearly impossible to avoid the question asked, unless you have a _very _strong mind or a very _innocent_ one. Starfire, for example, might be able to resist it because she is so naïve about earthly customs and such. Robin might be able to resist it, too, because he shields his mind very well. Are you _sure_ you want to do this?"

He took a deep breath. _Did _he want to do this? Did he want to spill his darkest secrets to someone that wouldn't be afraid to abuse them? _Surely Raven won't be that mean. _"Let's do this."

She raised an eyebrow, having sensed something behind his thoughts, but brushed it off as she handed him the vial. "Be careful. Only drink three drops, or else you might be truthful for much longer than an hour." She grinned evilly. "_And _I won't give you access to any lemon juice."

He gasped in mock horror. "No! The terror! You know, Raven, there is something called the supermarket."

"Go ahead and be sarcastic, Beast Boy," she said, smirking. "Let's see how you feel once you answer my questions."

He gulped, now slightly frightened. Nervous laughter left his mouth. "Okay then….. So you're going first?"

"You went first last time, so it _does _seem fitting."

"Well, go ahead then. I guess."

"Who are your main role models and why?"

He almost burst into relieved laughter. This question was supposed to frighten him? Not a chance! "I suppose one of my role models used to be Robin because of his leadership, which was the same reason I looked up to Mento. Mento and Elasti-Girl were like my parents mixed in with my idols. They showed me how to do things right, and –" He felt himself choke up. Maybe Raven's question was more in-depth than he thought. But his mouth refused to stop speaking. "– they never once let me down. My parents, too. I was little when they died, but I remember them telling me to always be strong and kind and never give up." A small tear trickled out of the corner of his eye and down his cheek. He brushed it away, embarrassed. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize."

"What?"

"I said, don't apologize. There's nothing wrong with sadness. I envy you. Now ask me a question."

"Um, okay." He thought hard, trying to think of a question that might bring Raven to tears as her question had done to him. "What did you mean earlier when you said that only a person who didn't experience everyone's emotions firsthand could say it was cool to actually _do _it?"

Raven bit back a curse. He knew she couldn't avoid answering it. Her mouth started moving of its own accord. "As I said, I feel the emotions of everyone person that reveals them to me, therefore almost everyone because few people know the true extent of my abilities of an empath and the ones that do don't bother trying to block their emotions from me. It _can _be good, I'll admit. I've felt the happiest of memories, the happiest of emotions, the truest bliss you can find. I suppose my main example of that was when Robin and Starfire kissed for the first time. I felt the purest form of happiness a person can, which was finding the one they love. The problem with that is that there are too many people in the world for me to bear the weight of so many emotions. It would probably kill me. The worst is pain. There are so many forms. Sadness. Fear. Worry. Anger. The passion some people have behind those emotions overwhelms me. Like Robin with Slade. I almost passed out at one point his rage was so great. I force my own emotions back so I can bear the weight of others."

Beast Boy's mouth formed a small 'o'.

She smiled slightly. "Not what you expected, eh?"

He slowly shook his head.

"Well, enough of me. My next question for you is: what are the best and worst things that have happened to you?"

_Hmm….. _He thought about it, not entirely sure. _So much has happened. I'm not entirely sure….. Oh._ He did know. "It was when I thought I saw Terra, and then she didn't remember me."

"Is that your best or worst?"

"Both."

"And how is that?"

"It was my worst experience because I thought I'd found the girl of my dreams again, and that we could live happily ever after. And then she didn't know who I was. It was like my entire world had come crashing down."

"I don't understand how that could have possibly been your best experience as well."

"It taught me that I had to learn to move on. I couldn't cling to things and expect for the past to meet up with the future."

"Wise words."

"Thanks!"

"Don't get a big head. Actually, I think it's too late."

He laughed. "It's never too late! You can still save my ego!"

"But that would be so much less entertaining. I think I'll leave you as you are."

"Oh well!"

"I didn't think you'd be disappointed."

"Never. So here's _my _next question for _you._ What is your worst fear?"

Raven glared angrily at him. "You little –"

"Answer the question, Rae."

She tried to resist the serum, but it was futile. "Aargh! Fine. My worst fear is fear itself. I'm always seen as cold, heartless, brave, fearless. I _can't _be afraid. I've been pushing away my emotions for so long that I'm afraid of fear. Happy?"

"Not happy. Why would I be happy learning what your worst fear is?"

"Then why did you ask me?"

"Because it shows me that you _are_ human."

"I'm _not _human, Beast Boy! I'm _not _normal!"

"And I am?"

"You're more normal than I am."

"Raven, you're fine just the way you are."

She wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe him more than anything in the world. But the evidence was piled against her. She'd almost killed her friends several times, was cruel unnecessarily, and couldn't control her powers. Normal? Ha! What a laugh. "That – that doesn't matter. I have one more question to ask you." She pushed a stray strand of hair behind her hair, thinking. What to ask? What did she want to know? Her mind flashed back to her previous thoughts. _He thinks I'm normal….. Why? _

"So, what's your last question?"

"What do you think of me?"

"What?"

"I said, what do you think of me?"

"I think….." He paused. What _did _he think about Raven? There were so many things. And of course the truth serum would make him reveal them all. Best to get started! "Well, I think you are a truly amazing person with a heart of gold. You just don't show it much. You're very powerful, but you can't show anyone the true extent of your powers, or else you might injure someone. Even yourself. You are the bravest person I know, as well as the most cowardly. Not that it's your fault," he added hastily, noticing her glare. "You've pretty much been cursed with a horrible past and future. And you're afraid of it all. Your past, your present, your future. You're afraid something might happen. That you'll never get a happy ending. But you will. You have so many good qualities. You're pretty, you're strong, you're funny – and you never let _anyone_ hold you down."

Raven cheeks were a brilliant crimson. No one had ever given her such compliments, not even Robin, and he was like her older brother.

Beast Boy's face was similar. He had just spilled out his soul to Raven about he felt about her! At least he didn't _fancy _her. That would have been beyond embarrassing….. "Time for my last question, then," he said, trying to change the subject."

"Get on with it."

"Well, what do _you _think of _me_?"

Raven's eyes flashed dangerously, but she refrained from using her powers against him. That would only appease her a few short, though satisfactory, seconds. She tried to keep her mouth shut, to not say anything, but the truth serum spoke despite her resistance. "I think you aren't as terrible as I say you are, but you _can _act just as bad as I claim, so don't get a big head over that. You have the _ability _to be funny, you just don't exercise it often. You're also very smart – much smarter than I originally believed – even if you don't act on it. You push yourself down a lot, too, and you shouldn't. Contrary to what you believe, you are just as good as the rest of us. Us, as in, the Titans. Something I admire about you is that you always look on the bright side, no matter what the situation. Even when I thought all was lost. When I thought I was destined to destroy the world. You never gave up on me."

By then, his face was as red as hers. "Thanks, Rae."

"No, thank you."

"For what?"

"The same reason you thanked me."

There was an awkward silence the grew more awkward by the second as they refused to look into each other's eyes. Beast Boy didn't know what he was doing, but he reached for Raven's hand and held it gently. Raven didn't know what she was doing, but she held his hand. For a split second, that is, until both realized what they were doing. Raven jumped away in embarrassment and a bit of fear, Beast Boy doing the same.

"I think that's enough experimenting with truth serums," Raven muttered, dripping lemon juice into her mouth, then proceeding to hand the bottle to Beast Boy without looking at him.

He dripped some of it down his throat as well, not looking at her, either. "Yeah."

Raven brushed herself off, preparing to leave. "This will not be spoken of," she said, her voice warning him. "Robin doesn't like me trying out spells on any of us." And of course, she didn't want the small matter of them holding hands getting out…..

Beast Boy was having similar thoughts going through his mind, though he chose not to voice them. "So, erm, when is my next lesson?"

Raven finally turned to look at him. "Next week, Monday, one o' clock." She hurried rushed out of the room, determined not to look back.

But Beast Boy watched her leave, only one thing running through his mind at that moment. _What the heck just happened?_

So that's that! Raven and Beast Boy know a _lot _more about each other, don't they? But the question is, will it develop into something more? You'll find out in a few chapters! Also, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Hamilton! It's so amazing! Go listen to the soundtrack on YouTube. NOW! Well, after you review. :D :D :D :D :D

"Is Earth fírinne. Air tá fírinne. Is é Uisce fírinne. Is Dóiteáin fírinne. Eilimintí den chroí, fhírinne thabhairt do gach níos uair amháin!"

**Earth is a truth. Air is a truth. Water is a truth. Fire is a truth. Elements of the core, bring truth to all once more!**

"Gaoithe."

**Wind**

"Tine."

**Fire**

"Uisce."

**Water**

"Cré."

**Earth**

"Le chéile na heilimintí, a dhéanamh Empower fírinne. Nocht an fhírinne, roimh sé caillte i gcumhacht!"

**Combine the elements, make truth empower. Reveal the truth, before it's lost in power!**

Sorry the spells weren't particularly good…..


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **Teen Titans is not mine.

**Claimer: **Ashley is an OC of my own invention and you must ask permission to use her.

Chapter Six

***Flashback begins***

_"Raaaaaaaaaaveeeeeeeeeeen," Beast Boy whined. "When do I get to have my next lesson? You said it would be Monday at 1 o' clock, but it's Friday and you still haven't taught me!"_

_Raven didn't move._

_He frowned, poking the empath's shoulder. Still nothing. "C'moooooooooooooon," he complained, trying to snap her out of thoughts. "I haven't been able to talk to Ashley in like a week because I don't know what to say to her!"_

_Not even the bat of an eyelash._

_"Geez, Rae," he grumbled. "If you're not gonna react to anything, put up a 'Do Not Disturb' sign or something, will ya?" _

_Finally, the purple-haired girl sighed. "Why don't you check my door?"_

_Beast Boy yelped at her sudden awakening. "Dude! Don't scare me like – wait, what?"_

_"I said to go check my door."_

_The green shapeshifter stuck his tongue out at her behind her back before hopping to his feet and making his way towards her door. Sure enough, there was a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on it. "Oh."_

_"Now, did you deliberately or unintentionally ignore that sign, __**Garfield**__?"_

_He gulped. "I didn't see it! Honestly!"_

_A small smirk danced on the empath's lips, out of sight of the green teenager. She was enjoying this conversation. "Do I need to get out the truth serums, as we did a few days ago?"_

_Beast Boy hastily shook his head. "No, no! I promise, I didn't see it!"_

_Raven felt a laugh bubbling up in her throat, disguising it with a cough when it escaped. "Fine. I'll believe you. However… I have one more question you need to answer."_

_"O-Okay…"_

_"Who… GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO ENTER MY ROOM?!" _

_Beast Boy screamed at the sight of Raven's four glowing red eyes. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He curled up in a little ball on the floor, eyes squeezed shut. "I just came in without thinking! I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me…"_

_The demoness curled her lip in a sneer at the pathetic sight in front of her. "Tch," she muttered before returning to her normal form. She sighed quietly, running a hand through her hair. "Get up."_

_He slowly opened one eye. Upon seeing normal Raven, he sprang to his feet, saluting her. "My apologies, Captain! I showed cowardice in the face of danger!"_

_She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Beast Boy." She turned away, prepared to start her meditation again. _

_"W-Wait!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "I'm sorry I came in without asking."_

_"You should be," she muttered. "I was in my final stage of meditation, and now I have to start over."_

_He laughed nervously. "Eh heh heh… Yeah. Sorry about that."_

_"I've heard your apology seven times since you've been in here. Get to the point already."_

_"Oh, right. Sor –" He coughed. "I just want to know when I can have my next lesson."_

_"Whenever I feel like it."_

_He sighed in exasperation. "C'mon, Rae! Time doesn't stop for you! Or it doesn't anymore, anyways."_

_"Like I care."_

_"Well, you should! Right now, Raven, I'm relying on you. You're a genius with this, and whether you like it or not, you promised you'd help me."_

_"I was tricked."_

_"Same thing."_

_She sighed. She'd been avoiding him due to the conversation they'd had while they were both under the influence of the truth serums. She had been afraid to face him. But now that was talking with him… She had no idea why'd she'd been so nervous, because he was denser than lead. "Fine."_

_The green shapeshifter whooped and danced around her room, cheering. "Alright!"_

_The purple-haired girl held up a hand. "Don't celebrate just yet. I have a few conditions."_

_He nodded. "Okay."_

_"1. Do not bother me for the rest of today. 2. The lesson __**after **__this one will take place exactly a week from tomorrow. 3. I want a change of scenery, so instead of the simulation room, meet me on the roof of the tower after lunch. And 4. Make a few attempts of your own to talk to Ashley. Do __**not **__just rely on my instructions. If you don't use your natural 'charm', she will never see your true personality. Understand?"_

_Beast Boy saluted her again. "Yes sir!" _

_She glared at him. "5. Don't call me 'sir'."_

_He snickered. "Heh. Yes ma'am."_

_"Get out." She turned away from him, and a glowing fist of dark energy punched him in the stomach, sending him flying out of her room._

***Flashback ends*******

Raven cringed at the memory of her conversation with the green-haired boy. _Maybe I was too harsh, _she mused to herself. _I __**had **__been putting this off for too long. _Looking around her, she decided she had been perfectly fair, seeing as he had so desperately wanted the third lesson but hadn't SHOWN UP YET! She sighed before taking a deep breath to relax. _Honestly, _she chided herself, crossing her legs again as she hovered over the ground in her meditative pose. _I have no reason to be so stressed. _Suddenly, a whirlwind of green flew up the stairs and onto the roof.

"I'm sorry I'm late!" Beast Boy exclaimed, out of breath. "I had to finish setting up a prank with Cyborg for Ro –" He stopped suddenly. "You know what, Raven? You never heard any of that."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course I didn't."

He laughed. "Thanks, Rae!"

"How many times must I tell you that my name is Raven?"

"Yeah, but your nickname is Rae."

"Beast Boy, so help me I will –"

"Okay, okay, I get it, _Raven_," he said, putting extra emphasis on her name. "So what's today's lesson?"

She rolled her eyes again, amazed at his ability to move from topic to topic so casually. "You're eager today."

"I've been eager all week! My excitement has only grown because _someone _kept ignoring me."

"I have my reasons."

He crossed his arms, pouting like an angry three-year-old. "Yeah, well, what are they?"

Raven felt blood rush to her cheeks. She quickly looked away, praying that he hadn't seen her blush. "N-None of your business," she muttered.

Beast Boy frowned, slightly puzzled by the purple-haired girl's odd behavior. He shrugged. It probably didn't concern him. "Well, whatever. _Anyways_, what's today's lesson?"

Despite her embarrassment, she couldn't help but crack a smile at his impatience. _He's so childish. _Her smile vanished. _I hope nothing ever causes him to change. _

He noticed the disappearance of the demoness' smile. He didn't like that. Determined to make her smile again, he sat down in front of her. "C'mon! Let's get started! I've been working on a bunch of new jokes, and I want to share them with you before I tell them to Ashley."

She bit back a groan. "Of course," she said tightly, knowing she couldn't refuse since she had lost the bet. "Now, let's start. Lesson Three: Making an Impression."

"Haven't I done that already? Like, when I first met her?"

"Listen carefully, Beast Boy. Making an _impression_. Not making a _first _impression."

"There's a difference?"

She sighed. "Do I actually have to explain this to you?"

"Yes. Yes you do."

Raven almost smiled at his deadpanned remark. "Fine. Answer this: what did you think when you first met Ashley?"

The green shapeshifter frowned. "Huh. I mostly thought that she was hot and really awesome."

She almost slapped him because of his vague response. Instead, she nodded. "Okay. So what do you think about Ashley _now_?"

"She's hot and really awesome."

This time, Raven _did _slap him.

"Ow! What the heck, Rae?" he said, cupping his cheek. "What was that for?!"

"Because you're an idiot."

"I am _not_!"

"Yes you are."

"That's not what you said with the truth serum!" The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them.

She froze. _He brought it up. _

Beast Boy cursed himself. He'd brought it up. He hadn't wanted to talk about it, because he _still _wasn't entirely sure what to think of the words that had come out of both of their mouths. He'd never thought much about his feelings for Raven – she hated him because he annoyed her, and he annoyed her because he loved to do it – but the truth serum had brought uncharacteristically honest statements from both him and the purple-haired empath to light. "Hey…" he said slowly. "I didn't –"

"What did you think when you first met me?"

"What?"

Raven sighed, though her eyes were glinting with something akin to anxiety. "I asked you what you thought when you first met me."

"Um…" Beast Boy wasn't entirely sure how to answer that. "I thought you were really creepy, I guess. You kind of scared me."

Raven nodded. For some reason she felt a pang in her chest upon hearing that. "And _now _what do you think of me?"

He blushed. "Well, uh, we sort of covered this with the whole truth serum event…"

"True," she replied, her cheeks dusted with pink as well. "But the fact of the matter here is that your opinion of me has changed significantly. That is the difference between a _first _impression and _making _an impression."

"So even if Ashley saw me as an idiot when she first met me, it's not too late to turn things around?"

"That's one way to put it." _Though I find it more likely she'd have perceived you as more of a stalker than an idiot. _

"Okay! So what do I have to do to make a good impression?"

"The concept is simple," Raven said matter-of-factly, "but the execution is what causes many people to so-called 'crash and burn'."

He snickered to himself at the cloaked girl's attempt at slang, though her icy glare shut him up immediately.

"But before we start with working out the execution, you need to decide what sort of impression you want to make on this girl."

"Um… A good one?"

Raven pinched the bridge of her nose, exasperated. _And not even ten minutes have passed… _"More specific than that. For example, do you want to be seen as someone laid-back with a witty sense of humor, or someone more hyperactive and 'cheesy'?"

Beast Boy frowned, eyeing the girl suspiciously. "Why do I get the feeling that only one of those will ever apply to me?"

"I haven't any idea what you're talking about."

He snorted, though there was a smile on his face. "I'm sure you don't."

"Those were just examples. You are obviously the one who makes the final decision."

"Well… I want her to see me as someone really funny, with an _amazing _sense of humor," he said pointedly, "as well as someone who values friendship above everything. I also want her to think that I'm the kind of guy who knows how to have fun, but will also listen to her problems if she wants to talk about them." He paused trying to decide if he was leaving anything important out.

In the back of his mind, a tiny voice was saying, **You want her to see you like that, too, don't you?**

_Shut up, _he grumbled to himself. _I don't care how Raven feels._

**That's harsh, dude.**

_Tha – That's not what I meant!_

**I know. I'm a part of you, after all.**

_Just get out my head already, Beast._

**I see. Ignoring me doesn't eliminate my existence, you know!**

Beast Boy forced the Beast back into his subconscious, where he couldn't hear him. Then he said, "Oh! I also want her to understand that I'm really a little kid at heart." He hoped the empath in front of him didn't notice the blush painted on his face.

One part of his speech echoed in Raven's mind. _Someone who values friendship above everything. Friendship… Above. Everything. _

**Heh.**

Raven groaned internally. For _her _to come visit, and _now _of all times.

**You like that, don't you? **Love teased. **It means he'd cared about you more than her.**

_I'm not sure who planted that idea in your head, but it holds no basis._

**Why, you did, of course.**

_Let me be, Love. This is not a good time._

**Fine, fine. I get it. But before I go…**

Raven felt her mouth move and words escape her lips that _were_ her own, yet _weren't _her own. At the least, they were thoughts she would never normally voice. "I'm sure you won't have any trouble getting that message across," she said softly, smiling at the green shapeshifter in front of her. Inside, she was screaming. _LOVE! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! _Love's laughter merely echoed in her mind before her presence faded.

Beast Boy felt his blush deepen at her comment.

**I told you so, **Beast said, a smirk evident in his voice.

_Back off. _

Raven's entire face was red. "I – uh, um, you're welcome!" the poor girl sputtered, completely and utterly humiliated. By _herself_, no less. A split second of courage caused her to say, "I meant it." _Well, of course I did. Part of me forced my overall being to say it. _She hadn't known Love had that much power over her. She'd thought only Rage could control her in such a way. "So, moving on," she hastily said, trying to steer the conversation away from her out-of-character comment.

He nodded hastily in agreement. "Y-Yeah."

Raven took a deep breath before continuing. "The entire concept of making an impression is that to _make _the impression, you simply have to act according the personality you want the person to remember."

"Simple enough."

She glared at him. "As I said earlier, the concept is simple, but the execution is _exceedingly _difficult. You can act perfectly according to what _you _think your personality is, but you cannot control how the other person sees it. For example: you think you're hilarious. I think you're idiotic."

"Hey!"

"Understand?"

He pouted. "Yeah, but I don't like your example."

"It was a necessary evil."

"Whatever, Rae."

"Now, although the execution of this lesson is hard, I cannot explain it in any other way than to simply _do it_. Act according to how you want to be seen."

"I thought you just said –"

"You thought wrong." She gave him a signature icy stare. "I _said _that you cannot control how the other person sees you. All you have to do is be yourself, and I'll give you my best guess as to what Ashley will think."

"How do you know so much about Ashley?" he asked suspiciously. "Do you spy on her, too?"

She rolled her eyes, though that comment wasn't too far from the truth. "I lost the bet, Beast Boy. Therefore I'm not going to do a horrible job teaching you. I'm an empath. Whenever you're talking with her, I take advantage of her distraction and peer into her mind a bit."

"That's so invasive!"

"You complain, but I do it for you."

"Even so…" He shuddered. "The secrets you could learn from people, Rae."

Raven was slightly hurt by his comment. "I don't go around just peering into people's minds looking for dirty secrets, you know. If I look into someone's mind _at all_, I always have some sort of reason. Just so you know, my reason for looking into Ashley's mind is the least valid of everything."

Beast Boy sweatdropped. "Yeah… I guess I should have expected that."

"You probably should have." Her voice had returned to its usual monotone. "Now let's begin the lesson. Remember that you've already started to make an impression. This is when you build on it."

"Got it."

"Let's begin." Instantly, Raven turned into 'Ashley'.

Beast Boy hadn't thought about it in detail before, but when Raven became 'Ashley', her transformation was effortless and quick, almost as if she was experienced with being cheerful all the time. He frowned, wanted to think further into it, but he saw an impatient glint in Raven's eyes, so he instead chose to jump right into everything. "Hey, Ashley!" he said, grinning from ear to ear. "How have you been?"

'Ashley' smiled. "I've been alright, I suppose. And you?"

He shrugged. "Eh. Not bad. Although it sucks that it's been over a week since we last spoke."

"Definitely. I really wanted –"

"Hey, do you want to know something cool?"

'Ashley' paused before simply shrugging her shoulders, a look of disappointment briefly crossing her face. "Um, sure. I guess."

"Awesome! So, did you know that when a chicken's head is cut off, it runs around for like twenty seconds before it dies?!"

'Ashley' got a queasy look on her face. "I – I didn't know that. That's pretty gross."

"Some people think that, but I think –"

"Okay, enough." 'Ashley' returned to being Raven. "That was _horrible_."

Beast Boy gaped at the demoness. "Horrible?! But I did exactly what you said to!"

"In the worst way possible," she said flatly.

"Come on, Rae!" he whined. "Was it really that bad?"

"Why would I lie to you? It doesn't benefit me to drag this on any longer than necessary."

"I don't know! Maybe you hate me or something."

"Beast Boy…" She sighed. "I feel many things for you. Or rather, I choose _not _to. But I don't hate you. Hate is a powerful thing. I don't wish it on anyone."

Beast Boy saw the almost agonized look in the empath's violet eyes and regret his words. "Hey… I'm sorry."

"You have no reason to be. All I did was state facts. Now, do you want to know where you went wrong with your execution?"

_No, _he said silently. _I want you to accept my apology, because I was being an idiot. _"Yes."

"First off, you were too insensitive. Most girls have a tendency to flirt in very discreet ways."

He wiggled his eyebrows at her, green eyes glinting with mischief. "And you might know this, _how_, Rae?"

"From looking inside your soon-to-be girlfriend's brain. How else?"

He just rolled his eyes, though he was smirking.

"Anyways, you can't just interrupt her if she's telling you how much she missed you, or how much she wants to hang out with you again. She'll think you don't feel the same way about her, though, in actuality, you were just nervous. This leads me to my second note: calm down."

"What are you talking about? I was _completely _calm."

"You and I have very different definitions of 'calm', then. It might me more accurate to say that were being desperate. You rushed right into your 'joke' –"

"That wasn't a joke!" the green-haired boy protested. "Chickens actually do that!"

"– without thinking, and therefore it was a terrible one. You failed to complete at least two, maybe even three of your goals," Raven concluded. "That's why it was so bad."

Beast Boy cringed. "It sounds really awful when you say it like that."

"It _was _awful."

"I get it, I get it! So how do I fix it?"

"Just relax a bit," she said simply. "That's all I can say. Don't freak out and think that she's losing interest in the conversation, or panic because you think your feelings aren't returned or that she just plain doesn't like you. You've got to be yourself, because when someone doesn't like you for _you_, they will be forever ruled by prejudice, and hated by 95% of humanity."

"And the other 5%?"

"What about them?"

"If someone is hated by 95% of humanity, how does the other 5% feel about them?"

Raven smirked, a rare expression to be seen on her face. "That 5% is who they shall perish with."

Beast Boy felt some of the color drain from his face before laughing nervously. "Is that so…? Well, I hope Ashley isn't a part of that 5%, then."

The smirk was replaced by a small smile. "Don't worry. She's not. I was easily able to discern how much she likes you just from looking into her mind for only a few seconds." She hated herself for it, but the empath felt bitter as she said this.

His green eyes widened. "Really…?" he said quietly. He wasn't sure how to react. A week ago, he'd have been overjoyed, but now… No. Ashley was the one he was meant to be with. "That's great!"

She forced herself to nod. "Yeah. It is."

"Let's try again! I know I can do it this time."

"Of course. You start it again." Raven slowly inhaled and exhaled before becoming 'Ashley'.

Beast Boy beamed. "Ashley!" he said happily. "Hey! How are you doing?"

'Ashley' laughed. "Whoa! Chill out, dude! I'm doing fine. What about yourself?"

He did the so-so motion with his hand. "Meh. Not horrible, I guess. All I know is that I feel a _lot _better after seeing you here."

She smiled. "Aw, that's so sweet! I have to say, I missed hanging out with you."

He gave her an exaggerated bow, causing her to giggle. "Why thank you, madam."

"But of course, sir!"

They stared at each other for a brief second before busting out in loud laughter.

"I'm not even sure why that was so funny," 'Ashley' said, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Me neither," Beast Boy agreed, doing the same. "However, I have a brand new joke that should be perfectly obvious as to why it's funny!"

"I should hope so," she said, smiling. "That _is _the point of a joke, right?"

"Definitely! So, do you want to hear it?"

'Ashley' turned back into Raven. The purple-haired girl held up a hand to stop him. "I'm sure Ashley will, so save it for her, okay?"

Beast Boy grinned at her. "Are you saying I did okay?!"

She sighed, but nodded, a smile dancing on her lips. "Yes. Yes you did. You always seems to perform better after you massively screw up the first time, you know."

He stuck his tongue out at her. "You're jealous of how amazing I am at adapting to things!"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm sure that's it," she said flatly. "Look, I've only got one thing to really tell you about this attempt."

"What is it?"

"Ask her to hang out with you. As friends, of course, but invite her to the Tower, or to a coffee shop, or someplace a bit more personal."

He nodded. "Okay. Let's practice that."

"No."

"Huh?"

"I said 'no'. She will only tell you 'yes' if it's a genuine attempt, and the best way to assure this is to make it your first attempt."

"But what if I screw it up?"

"You'll be fine, Beast Boy." Raven gave him another uncharacteristic smile. "Remember, don't stress, okay?"

"Easier said than done," he grumbled. Then he exhaled out of his mouth. "Fine. Open the portal."

She bit her tongue to stop herself from retorting with a nasty comment about his bossiness or something nonsensical, choosing instead to merely open the portal in front of him. "She's in the park again." Then she added, "Good luck…" Her words were lost in the wind. He was already gone.

xxxxxxxxx

Beast Boy spotted the pretty blonde underneath the tree where they'd first met. "Yo, Ashley!" he said cheerfully, waving at her.

She looked around, surprised, before spotting him and waving back. "Hey, BB!"

He jogged over to her. "It's been a while," he said, smiling at her. "How have you been?"

She grinned. "I've been really good, actually! I'm fostering a puppy right now. But to be honest, she's so cute that I might adopt her! But enough about me. What about you?"

His smile grew. _She likes animals! Awesome! _"Well, life's been life," he said with a shrug. "But I have to say, seeing you here is definitely the highlight of my day so far!"

Ashley blushed a shade of pale pink, appearing as if she'd merely put on a bit of makeup. "Aw," she cooed. "That's so sweet of you. But I'm curious. Do you have any jokes for me today?"

Beast Boy nearly burst out laughing from the irony. "I do, actually!"

"Let's hear it!"

"What's the difference between a guitar and a fish?" he said, eyes twinkling.

Ashley frowning, the thought process reflected in her beautiful blue eyes. "Hmm… I don't know. What's the difference?"

"Well…" He almost laughed before he delivered the punch line. "The difference is… You can't tuna fish!" He knew it was an incredibly corny joke, but it was one of his all-time favorites. Luckily, Ashley seemed to like it, too. She was laughing almost as hard as he was!

"That's a good one!" she choked out amongst her giggles. "I approve!"

He beamed at her, and then remembered Raven's final instructions.

_Ask her to hang out with you. As friends, of course, but invite her to the Tower, or to a coffee shop, or someplace a bit more personal._

He gulped, then spoke to the girl. "Hey…"

"Hmm?"

"So… I was wondering if you wanted to come to the Tower sometime to hang out and maybe play some video games with me…? I just got 'Super Ninja 50X!'"

Ashley tapped her chin, thinking. Then she smiled. "Sounds like fun! I'd love to!"

Beast Boy beamed at her. "Awesome! Next Monday at 2?"

"I'll be there." She checked her watch, then gasped. "Oh, I've got to go! My volunteer shift at the pet store starts in ten minutes!"

He laughed. "Go, then! You don't want to be late!"

"Are you sure? I feel like I'm abandoning you…"

"Not at all. I'll see you Monday?"

"Definitely!" At that, the blonde took off running, her feet lightly hitting the ground as she ran.

He watched her go, ecstatic about the way the events had gone.

**BB.**

He groaned. _What do you want?_

**What are you doing with this girl? **

_Um, trying to get her to be our – no, _my _– girlfriend!_

**You're betraying Raven.**

_I'm – what?! Raven and I – we – no way!_

**Don't deny it. You like her.**

_What does that even matter?! I like Ashley more!_

The Beast sighed. **You'll only hurt her and Raven this way. **

_Shut up! Get out of my head!_

**Don't say I didn't warn you…**

Beast Boy clenched his fists before wiping the sweat off his face. _This is right, _he told himself. _Ashley is finally the girl for me. I won't go through another 'Terra'. Never again. _He shook his head, starting to make his way back to the tower.

xxxxxxxxx

Raven watched in satisfaction through her crystal ball as Beast Boy successfully flirted with Ashley. _He did it. _

**That sucks for you.**

She groaned quietly. _Why are you here, Love? I thought I'd gotten rid of you earlier._

Love laughed. **Don't be silly. You can't get rid of me **that **easily, you know. If it was so easy, you'd be a hollow shell of a person, Rae.**

She sighed. _I don't care. Just leave me in peace for today._

Love laughed again. **I haven't even started talking about Beast Boy yet and you already want me to leave? I hadn't known I was on such thin ice, Rae-Rae.**

_You're worse than him. My name – your name, too – is Raven. _

**But surely you don't want it to be worn out, right?**

_You always did lack logic, Love._

**Well, logic is Knowledge's area of expertise, not mine.**

_Of course. I'd almost forgotten. _

**Is such sarcasm really necessary?**

_Leave me alone, Love. I'm not in the mood._

**You never are, **Love said with a sigh. **But fine. I'll go. For now. **

Raven sighed as she felt the purple emoticlone dissipate from her main consciousness. But Love's comments had gotten her wondering. Would she be able to push away her emotions any longer?

xxxxxxxxx

**Hey, everyone. It's been a while, eh? I apologize for my inactivity. Despite me not being here, you guys continued to review, follow, and favorite, and I thank you guys SO MUCH for that. I love you all, and I hope you're all still reading. Updates for this story will hopefully be a little more stable now. I am determined to finish this story because you guys seem to like it, and I myself like the idea of this story best of all my Teen Titans fanfics. However, other things are going on in life right now – new schools, flash floods, etc. – so I probably won't be here as much as I'd like. Plus, I have a bunch of other stories that are completely done (handwritten-wise) that I will be uploading, too. But this story is NOT abandoned. Once again, I love you guys a lot, and I hope you stick with me until the end. See you next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Guys, all of your reviews are going to make me cry. :') I'm overwhelmed by this support, and also like, "I hope I meet their expectations!" This chapter is going to be a little longer than usual, partially as a 'thank you' and partially because I can't split the chapter because this story is ONLY going to be ten chapters. But enough of this. Without further ado, enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: **Teen Titans is property of… Several people, myself not included.

**Claimer: **Ashley is an OC of my own invention, and if you want to use her, ask me. Or come up with your own, because it's a fun process.

**Note 1: **_Italics _are either Raven's or Beast Boy's thoughts, and **bold **is either Raven's emoticlones or the Beast.

**Note 2: **I have decided to use Raven's orange cloaked emoticlone (Rude) for the purpose of having another emoticlone with a short temper. So Rude is going to be someone who is, well, _rude _to everyone, as well as the one who likes to use smart comments, instead of someone gross. Sloth shall be our lazy and rather disgusting emoticlone.

Chapter Seven

Raven frowned to herself. A week had passed since the previous lesson, and yet Beast Boy was nowhere to be seen. This surprised the purple-haired girl, since normally he'd be bothering her endlessly to put down her book or whatever she happened to be doing in order to give him his next lesson. _Could he be in trouble? _She brushed that thought aside. She'd have detected that by now if such had been the case.

She bit her lip, slightly worried by his absence, and yet relieved at the same time.

**You don't want to talk to him, do you? **a melodious voice said, giggling softly. **Guess you're getting nervous. I did tell you it was love, didn't I? I'd know that best. **

Raven cursed.

**Language, Rae-Rae, **a different voice said, this one rougher and harsher around the edges.

_You're one to talk, Rage. _

The red-cloaked emoticlone cackled. **You've gotten bolder, Raven!**

**That's my fault, **a green-cloaked Raven said, cracking her knuckles. **Can't let Raven be seen as a coward!**

_Love… _Raven said silently in frustration. _Did you summon everyone?_

Love giggled again. **Maybe! **

Raven groaned. _Why would you do that? _

**We miss you, **the purple-cloaked emoticlone said innocently. **You haven't come to Nevermore in ****_ages. _**

Although she hated to admit, Love had a point. _Do you want me to visit? _

**It's certainly preferable, **the yellow-cloaked Knowledge said. **It's easier on yourself, and you ****_do _****need to visit. Your meditation rate has been declining slightly as of late.**

_I know, _Raven thought irritably. _Fine. Give me a minute. _

**We'll be waiting! **Love said happily.

The empath gave a quiet sigh of relief as she felt her emoticlones fade from the main presence of her mind. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate their concern – though she was certain they had some other motive – but all of them trying to speak to her at once while not in Nevermore gave her a headache.

Raven stood and walked over to her vanity table that Starfire had given her. The Tamaranean princess had intended for the demoness to use it as a way to try styling her appearance, but it was crowded with books instead of makeup. She couldn't even remember if there was a full-length mirror behind them all or not.

She opened the bottom right drawer, revealing an empty interior, the exception being a few bottles of nail polish that had also been gifts from Starfire. Raven took them out before removing the false bottom. A Gothic metal mirror with two red gems – one on the top rim and on the handle – stared back up at her.

She slowly took it out, placing the false bottom back down inside, though her gaze never left the mirror. It had been a gift from the monks of Azarath. When she was younger, there had always been a small possibility that she'd be able to control her powers completely on her own. Now, of course, she knew that had never been true, especially since Trigon had been alive and well at that time, if banned from Azarath.

In order to help her control them, the monks had created the mirror so she could communicate with her emotions and meditate more easily. She'd used it ever since. It was an almost painful reminder of the sheltered life she used to lead, and yet it was even more a symbol of how much she'd grown since that time.

Raven shook her head, pushing away the nostalgia and walking to the center of her room. She placed the mirror on the ground, crossing her legs and hovering in mid-air above and behind it. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos… Azarath Metrion Zinthos… Azarath Metrion Zinthos…" She could feel her soul-form preparing to leave her body. _Almost… _"Azarath Metrion Zinthos… Azarath Metrion Zinthos… Azarath… Metrion… Zinthos!"

A raven made of a ghostly black energy floated out of her body and soared downward, disappearing into the mirror with the ease of someone that had done it hundreds of times.

xxxxxxxxx

"You made it!" Love cheered, pulling the empath into a hug.

Raven resisted the urge to shudder and gave the purple emoticlone an awkward hug back. "Er, yes."

"I'm pleased to note that despite your lack of meditation, you're able to appear in your regular form here," Knowledge said, pushing her circular glasses up her nose. "I can recall those time when you were younger and forgot to meditate for weeks."

Brave snickered. "Oh, yeah. You were forced to look like your soul form – a literal raven."

Raven turned red at their statements. "Enough gossiping about that. I was eight."

"That's right!" Love cooed, releasing the purple-haired demoness. "You were so cute!"

"And consequently, so were we," Knowledge added.

"It was annoying," Rage grumbled. "No one respects an eight-year-old."

"Who were you trying to gain respect from, Rage?" Rude demanded. "It's not as if there's other people here."

"Did you say something, Rude?" Rage said, glaring at the orange-cloaked emoticlone, her four red eyes glowing.

"Nothing an imbecile like you would understand," Rude retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

Rage growled and was about to attack the orange-cloaked emoticlone when someone stepped between them.

"Enough of this," Happy said cheerfully. "We should all be smiling because Raven's come to visit us again! Not fighting over something so _silly._"

Timid watched the spectacle nervously from afar. "I hope no one gets hurt."

"Don't worry, Timid," Brave said with a grin. "I'll protect you if anything happens."

Raven sighed at the interactions between all of her emoticlones. "Look, if no one is going to cooperate with me, I'm going to return to my body."

"Wait!" Love said, grabbing demoness' arm as she attempted to turn around. "We'll all stop. _Right, _everyone?"

Immediately, the other six emoticlones stood to attention and saluted her.

Raven stared in shock at Love. She hadn't realized how intimidating the purple-cloaked emoticlone could be.

"Good," Love said, beaming. It turned into a frown a split second later. "Wait… Where's Sloth?"

"Statistics hint that it's most probably that she has forgotten about the meeting," Knowledge said matter-of-factly. "A 63.723489% chance, to be precise."

"Well, it's the other 30-something percent," Rude said crudely, rolling her eyes. "She's over here." She kicked at a bush, causing a snoring Sloth to roll out from behind it.

"Oh no," Timid said worriedly. "She's asleep. Now we won't be able to do anything."

"Don't be so _negative_!" Happy said chirpily. "All we have to do is wake her up!"

"Get up," Rage snapped, kicking the brown-cloaked emoticlone.

Nothing.

"Are you ignoring me?!" she seethed, four red eyes glowing.

"Stop this," Raven demanded, not wanting to watch Rage beat up the unsuspecting Sloth. "I'll wake her." She walked over to where the emoticlone was lying on the ground, kneeling down beside her. "Sloth… If you don't wake up I'm not going to sleep for a week."

It was an empty threat, but it did the trick. _Sloth never was the most intelligent, _Raven thought wryly as the brown-cloaked emoticlone sat up.

"No!" she begged. "You can't do that to me!"

"Glad to see you're awake," Raven said curtly, standing and brushing off her blue cloak.

"Everyone hold hands!" Happy said energetically, grabbing Rage's and Rude's hands, much to their annoyance.

_It's just a meditative chant, _Raven told herself, already exhausted from being in the same place with her emoticlones even though not even ten minutes had passed. _It'll only take a few minutes at most. _

xxxxxxxxx

Raven sighed in relief. _Done. _She tucked a strand of her purple hair behind her ear, the white garments that had appeared on her to represent the balance of her emotions slowly turning back to their normal blue. "I'll be going back now."

Love pouted. "Don't go yet, Raven! We all want to ask you a few questions."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "What sort of questions, if you don't mind my asking?"

Happy laughed. "Oh, Raven! You already know."

"We _are _you, after all," Knowledge added.

Raven groaned. "Don't tell me…"

"How long are you going to keep denying your feelings for Beast Boy?" Rude demanded. "I don't even care, but it's so annoying that Love and Happy won't shut up about him!"

Raven's cheeks turned a pretty shade of scarlet at her statement. "W-What are you talking about?"

"Confess already!" Brave practically shouted, smirking as she elbowed the empath's side. "Be bold about it!"

"But it's so nerve-wracking," Timid said anxiously. "I mean, he likes Ashley and all, not us."

"E-Enough," Raven sputtered. "That's not – he's not –!"

"Raven, _you _stop," Love said sternly yet fiercely. "It may not be love yet, but you like him. Denial will get you nowhere. You can't keep pushing us away!"

"I can and I will," the half-demoness snapped. "I have no sorts of feelings for that green idiot, except _loathing. _Now leave. Me. _Be._" At that, Raven pulled her hood up, her body fading away. It was replaced by an eerie black raven that promptly flew up into the sky and vanished.

The moment it was gone, Love collapsed to the ground, body shuddering with violent coughs, her form almost seeming to flicker.

"Love!" Happy exclaimed, running over the purple-cloaked emoticlone. "Are you okay?"

Love nodded, though her pale face said otherwise. "Y-Yeah. I'm fi –" She clutched her stomach as pain shot through it.

"You aren't fine," Happy said worriedly.

Love tried to smile, but it was weak. "Really. I'm completely –" Any color left in her face drained from it as she turned to the side and retched.

The other emoticlones could only watch as she emptied the contacts of her stomach onto the ground, unable to help her.

Love finished vomiting and took a gulp of fresh air.

"Love…" Happy said quietly. "Why didn't you tell Raven that this is happening?"

Love wiped the bile from around her mouth, her body still shaking slightly. "No need to worry her over something so unimportant."

"It's _not _unimportant," Brave growled. "She's denying her feelings, and it's _killing _you!"

Love rolled her eyes. "I'm not –" She started to cough again, waving away assistance. "– dying," she finished.

"You aren't dying _yet_," Knowledge corrected. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if Raven doesn't recognize her feelings soon, it _could _kill you. At the very least, it would cause your existence to fade into almost nothing, and if I'm being honest, that is nearly the same thing."

"You really need to tell Raven about this," Timid said nervously. "You can't let it go on any longer."

"And if you don't tell her, we will!" Brave added.

"You'll do no such thing," Love said, slowly getting to her feet. "She's go to figure it out on her own."

"I hate to agree with her, but Love is right. It'll only get worse if we try to tell her," Knowledge agreed. "All we can do is hint at it, like we attempted to do today."

The other emoticlones exchanged unhappy looks but all relented and nodded.

"Good," Love said in relief. She gave them a small smile upon seeing their worried expressions not leave their faces. "You guys really don't have to worry. I'll be fine."

xxxxxxxxx

Beast Boy said on the floor beside his bed, door to his bedroom shut. He knew he had another lesson with Raven that day, but for some reason, he wasn't really feeling it. He didn't know why, and he was almost worried about himself. He'd never wanted to _not_ go to a lesson before.

Before the truth serum, his thoughts had completely revolved around Ashley. He'd admit that he may have been a _bit _infatuated with the pretty blonde girl, but how could he not be? She was, in every way, perfect.

She had gorgeous features, to start off with. Her skin was flawless and almost porcelain-looking. Her hair was long and blonde-golden, and it fell down her back in loose waves. And her eyes… A beautiful blue, like her eyes were the ocean themselves. More than once he hadn't been able to stop himself from getting lost in him.

Though he wasn't the type to look at such, her figure was great, too.

Ashley's personality also blew him away. She was as kind as could be – always willing to lend a helping hand to someone. She was also funny, telling jokes whenever they hung out. She also laughed at his jokes – the best bonus possible. She was incredibly creative, and yet one of the smartest people he knew. She never stopped smiling, too – he loved that the most about her.

But _after _the truth serum experiment… He couldn't describe it. He had a strange lack of motivation now when it came to his lessons. It wasn't that he _didn't _want to see Ashley – or at least he didn't _think _it was. There just wasn't any possible explanation!

Maybe he was dreaming… He pinched his arm to see if he was awake.

The angry red marks that stood out clearly against his skin told him that he was very much _not _sleeping.

But what other reason could it be? He _loved _Ashley, and truly wanted her to be his girlfriend.

**Are you sure about that? **

_Well, duh! _Beast Boy replied instinctively.

The Beast sighed. **I know I'm technically you, so this is an insult to myself as well, but you're an idiot. **

Beast Boy snorted. _Like that'd offend me. I'm told that all the time. _

**Fair enough. **

_But why am I an idiot? Other than the usual. _

**I don't know, **the Beast said sarcastically. **Maybe because you can't sort out your feelings properly?**

_I'm a teenage boy. What did you expect? _

**More than ****_this. _**

Beast Boy dramatically placed a hand over his heart, though no one was there to see it. _I'm deeply offended by your statement. _

**That's generally the point of an offensive statement. **

Beast Boy frowned and glared at… The wall. _You're supposed to be like my subconscious or something, but you sure are more sarcastic and smarter than I am. _

**Because your subconscious manifests itself in such a way to impress the person closest to you. **

Beast Boy tapped his chin thoughtfully. _Does that mean Ashley goes for more sarcastic and witty people?_

The Beast rolled his eyes. Or Beast Boy assumed he did. **No, Ashley likes your stupid kind of humor, and over-enthusiastic personality. **

_So why aren't you more like me?! _

**Because I'm the dark part of you. That you hate. That you don't want to come out. ****_Ever. _****Correct?**

_That's a harsh way of putting it. _

**But it's true. **

Beast Boy sighed. _I guess. _

**And therefore I'm the part of you that contains feelings that you'd rather suppress. **

_What's that supposed to mean?_

**Beast Boy, you yourself realized that you don't really ****_want _****to go to your fourth lesson, despite how much you want to go out with Ashley, right? **

_Yes… _

**Did you consider the idea that maybe you're nervous to be around Raven? **

Beast Boy's jaw dropped. "WHAT?!"

**No need to physically speak. I'm right here. **

_That's impossible, _he protested, once again speaking through thoughts. _Why would I be nervous to be around Raven? _He paused. _Sometimes she's really scary, though. _

**Not those types of nerves. Have you ever pondered the possibility that you might be interested in Raven? **

Beast Boy snorted. _Well, yeah. You remind me that Raven is who I'm really interested in whenever I'm with Ashley. But you're wrong. _

**Am I? **

_You are. I'll go to my lesson right now to prove it you. _At that, the green shapeshifter stood up, brushed his uniform off, and made his way towards his bedroom door.

**I ****_did _****give you fair warning. **

_Sure, sure. Whatever. Get out my head. _Beast Boy heard the Beast sigh but felt his presence retreat back into the subconscious of his mind. "I'll prove it to him," he muttered to himself. "I'll go get my fourth lesson!" He opened his door and left, slamming it behind him.

xxxxxxxxx

Beast Boy stood in front of a certain empath's room, unsure of what to do. It was shut, and therefore most likely locked. He'd pressed up his ear against the door, but even with his enhanced hearing, he couldn't detect any noise at all. Not even the sound of breathing. But Raven hadn't been anywhere else in the tower and every other Titan had reported that she'd gone to her bedroom.

Finally, he gathered enough courage to knock on her door. But his hand froze just centimeters away from it. A smile crossed his face as he was reminded of how he was in this exact same situation in trying to get Raven to teach him how to get Ashley to like him. This time, however, he had no reason to be nervous. Right?

The green-haired teen took a deep breath before knocking three times on the purple-haired demoness' door.

No response.

He frowned before knocking again. "Raven?"

Still nothing.

"Raven, come on. You have to give me my fourth lesson!"

Upon not hearing anything a third time, he turned into a gorilla and knocked down her door, returning to human form before running in. "Raven!" He froze in his tracks. The cloaked empath was floating above the ground, her eyes glowing white.

He facepalmed. She was in her meditative state – the one where her soul left her body. _That _was why she wasn't responding to him. He sighed silently to himself. Well, all he could do was wait.

xxxxxxxxx

Raven took a gulp of Earth's air as she her spiritual form returned to her Earthly one, her lungs starting to take in oxygen again. "Finally," she murmured quietly, stretching her arms above her head to relieve her stiff muscles. She opened her violet eyes, only to find her gaze to fall upon a particular green shapeshifter.

"Hey Raven!" Beast Boy said cheerfully, waving at the stunned empath. "I'm here for my fourth lesson!"

She was barely able to stop her jaw from falling to the floor. "Wha…?"

He awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Did I come at a bad time? I mean, I thought –"

She held up a hand to silence him. "Beast Boy… How long have you been here?"

The threatening tone in her voice made him gulp nervously. "Only a minute or so! Promise!"

She sighed. "You have an annoying skill of coming at the worst times."

He smirked. "I know. It's taken years to perfect it."

Raven rolled her eyes. This was only proving what she'd told Love. She held no sort of compassionate feelings for the green shapeshifter. He only served to annoy her, it seemed.

"So," he began, twiddling his thumbs, "You said last week I had a lesson today, but I didn't know what time you wanted it to be, and where you wanted it to be, so I just came here."

As much as Raven wanted to slap him for coming into her room, she understood his logic, and couldn't truly find a detestable fault in it. "Fine. I take it you want your lesson now?"

He nodded eagerly, green eyes wide with hope. "Yes!"

She sighed. Anything to distract her from her conversation with her emoticlones. "It's not as if I have anything to better to do."

"Yes!" he exclaimed, pumping his fist. "Let's go!"

Raven couldn't help but smile slightly as he ran out of her bedroom. _His excitement is infectious. _That same smile vanished when she saw the door to her bedroom lying on the floor, a dent in the center of it. "Oh, Beast Boy," she said with her 'Ashley' voice – in other words false cheerfulness. "Come back here for a second."

From down the hall, Beast Boy frowned. What could she want? He turned around to see Raven standing over her door, an eerie purple glow surrounding her. It didn't at all match the fake smile on her face. "Y-Yes?"

"Care to explain _this_?" She gestured towards the broken door underneath her feet.

He sweatdropped. "Er… I may have broken at down because I couldn't hear you breathing and was worried?" He put his hands up to cover his face. "Please don't hurt me!"

Immediately, Raven felt all anger dissipate. _He was… Worried about me? _Color rushed to her cheeks, and she felt a strange pounding in her chest. _What's going on? _She pulled her hood up over her head to hide her face. "Oh."

Beast Boy expected her to explode, not say one word and then fix it herself with her powers. "Uh… You okay, Raven?"

"Fine." She floated past him. "Let's go."

He frowned at her back. She was acting strange, and he didn't like it. He liked it when she was… Raven. Wait… _What am I thinking?! _He blushed furiously at his thoughts. _I don't like Raven at all! She's always rude to me, and never laughs at my jokes. _The fast thumping of his heart contradicted all of his words, but he ignored it. _Either way… She hates me. _

xxxxxxxxx

The two teens stood across from one another inside the simulation room.

"Are you sure you understand, Beast Boy?" Raven asked. "This is the, **quote **make it or break it **endquote* **lesson. If you mess this up, at best, you and Ashley will remain friends. At worst, you'll never speak to each other again."

Beast Boy nodded. "I understand."

She frowned, biting her lip. "Before we start, remind me of how long you've known Ashley."

"Aw, c'mon, Rae!" he whined. "I wanna have the lesson!" He paused for a moment, thinking. "The least you could do is tell me what this lesson _is_."

"Not until you answer my question. I have to determine if you should wait or not."

He pouted. "Fine. Do you mean known as in how long I've known about her or how long we've been friends? Because there's a large gap between those."

She rolled her eyes. "What do you think, Beast Boy?"

He tilted his head to acknowledge her statement. "Fair enough. It's been about a month**."

She nodded. "Okay… It's a bit early, but based on how much you've been hanging out with her as of late, I think you'll be fine. _If _you're extremely careful."

"Alright… So what's the lesson?"

Raven took her hood off of her head so to properly look him in the eyes. "Lesson Four: Asking Her Out."

Beast Boy inhaled sharply at her statement. "Oh boy…" He laughed nervously. "Lots of pressure today!"

She nodded. "Understand why I was considering having you wait?"

"Yeah." He cracked his knuckles, grinning. "But I got this. No one can resist my charms!"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course. You're such a lady-killer."

"The best of the best!" He winked at the purple-haired empath. "I'm sure even you would fall for me, Rae-Rae."

Raven felt herself blushing. She glared at him, hoping he wouldn't notice it. "As if. I'm not interested in guys like you. Overly flirty and _not _funny."

Beast Boy dramatically placed his hand over his heart. "You wound me."

"And so it should."

"Don't be such a downer, Raven! Why don't ya give me a chance?"

She stared icily at him. "Enough flirting. Ashley might accuse me of trying to steal her man."

Beast Boy blinked in surprise, realizing what he'd been doing._ Was I just… Flirting with Raven?! _Blood rushed to his cheeks, and he turned his head to hide the blush that he knew would stand out brilliantly against his green skin. "Er, right!"

She gave him a questioning look but didn't comment on his sudden change in attitude. "Okay… Now, with this particular lesson, you can't really _practice _it. It has to be completely honest, much like how you gave her an impression of your true personality. I'll give you as much advice as I can, but in the end, this falls on your shoulders."

He nodded. "Got it. It's all on me."

She gave him a soft smile. "Don't stress yourself too much. It's not _that _hard. Besides, the way she acts around you… you'll be fine." Her tone was bitterer than she'd meant it to be.

He beamed at her. "Thanks, Rae! If you think I can do it, then this should be a piece of cake."

"Right." She tucked a strand of her violet hair behind her ear, not meeting his eyes. "First, tell me how you would approach her."

"I'd probably just flat-out ask her."

"You _can _do that, but I don't recommend it."

"Why? Isn't better to be direct?"

"Don't use such an accusatory tone," she said with a cold stare. "There's nothing necessarily wrong with that technique, but you don't have to rush yourself. You have all the time in the world to ask her. You don't want her to think you just want a one-time fling. Show her you put some thought into it."

"Thoughtful," he said, grinning mischievously. "So I've got to be the perfect gentleman."

She rolled her eyes. "If you want. I'm not here to tell you what to do, just advise you. But I don't think you need to be a 'gentleman'. Ashley should like you for you, not how gentlemanly you can be."

"And what about you, Rae?" he said, waggling his eyebrows. "Do you like me for me?"

"I'd like it if you'd stop playing around and listen to me." Raven had brushed the question off, but it lingered in her mind. A few weeks ago, she wouldn't have thought twice about Beast Boy. And yet now…

Beast Boy pouted at her answer. "So cruel." He silently cursed himself. What was wrong with him? He wasn't the type of guy that flirted with every girl he met. Usually. But he'd never flirted with any of the Titans girls – Terra being the exception. Could it be the fact that it was Raven? _No. I'm being stupid. I'm just nervous about asking Ashley out. That's all. _

"Those are the first two things I wanted to address," Raven continued. "The actual practice of this lesson is going to be a lot shorter than the other ones because you want it to seem genuine. That's good for you, because you get to spend more time with Ashley before the date. That leads me to my third point – there are two ways to plan a date."

"Huh?"

"There are two ways to plan a date," she repeated.

"I know that, Rae! You just said it," he said, rolling his eyes dramatically. "But what does that _mean_?"

"You can either plan everything out yourself before you ask her, or wait until _after _you ask her to plan the date with her," Raven explained. "Which would you rather do?"

"I think I'd rather get her input," Beast Boy said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "That way we can both have more fun!"

She nodded. "Wise decision. Not many men decide to do that."

He shrugged. "I mean, I want Ashley and I to have the most fun we can! Isn't it better if we can plan it together?"

She tilted her head to the side, showing her acknowledgement of his staement. "Fair enough. Now, if you're going to do that, invite her to hang out casually – not an official date yet – so you can work everything out together."

"Okay," he said slowly. "I think I understand…?"

"Think of asking her out as three steps," Raven explained. "Step One is just relaxing and chatting. Two is actually asking her on the date. Three is asking to plan the date with her."

"Are you sure I can't practice it with you?" he asked, making puppy dog eyes. He considered himself to be an expert at those, seeing as he'd transformed into a puppy on numerous occasions.

She sighed. "Beast Boy…"

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeease, Raven?"

"Fine," she relented. "But only _once_."

He beamed. "Alright!"

She rolled her eyes before getting into her 'Ashley' persona, pressing a button on the simulator's main dashboard to transform the walls of the room into that of a café. "Oh, hello Beast Boy!" 'Ashley' said, surprised. "I didn't expect to see you here."

Beast Boy grinned. "Of course not! I'm a ninja, after all." He struck ninja pose. "Hi-yah!" he exclaimed, mock-chopping an imaginary board.

'Ashley' rolled her eyes, giggling. "You're so silly, BB."

He winked at her. "Don't I know it."

"But seriously," 'Ashley' said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger, "what _are _you doing here?"

The goofy smile disappeared from the green shapeshifter's face. "To be honest, I was looking for you."

'Ashley' raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why?"

"I want to ask you something." Beast Boy took a deep breath before continuing. "I like you, Ashley. A _lot. _And for a lot of reasons – you're pretty, funny, really smart, and so much more. And I want to get to know you better. And maybe become _more _than friends. But I'm kind of getting ahead of myself. What I'm trying to say is… Ashley, do you want to go on a date with me?" He wasn't sure why his question had been so honest. It wasn't like Ashley was there at that moment. He shrugged it off. He was just really in character. There wasn't any other reason. _…Right? _

Raven was awed by his sincerity of the question, almost lapsing out of character for a moment. _He really likes Ashley, doesn't he? _The thought brought a small smile to her face, but yet it made something hurt in her chest. Something had to be wrong with her. She'd been feeling off all day. "I'd love to," 'Ashley' said breathlessly. Raven internally cringed at how genuine she'd sounded. _Something is definitely wrong. _

Beast Boy grinned widely at her. "Really?" He coughed. "I mean, of course you would."

'Ashley' giggled. "Don't get full of yourself. But what's the plan?"

He awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Well, I was kind of hoping you could help me with that."

"What do you mean?" she asked him curiously.

"I wanted us to kind of plan the date together," he explained. "So it can be more fun for both of us!"

'Ashley' smiled at him. "Sounds good to me." Raven pulled her hood over her head, getting out of character. "That was excellent, Beast Boy. If you do the same to Ashley, I don't see how it's possible she could tell you no."

"You think so?" he asked, green eyes shining with happiness.

She nodded. "I do."

"Thanks, Raven," he said almost bashfully.

"You're welcome," she replied curtly. "But enough talking with me. You should get going. I need to meditate." She started to open the portal when a green hand grabbing her wrist stopped her.

"Wait a sec, Rae," Beast Boy said, turning the demoness around so she was facing him.

"What?" she said, irritated and praying that he didn't notice the blush on her face caused by his hand on her arm.

"I just wanted you to know that I really appreciate you doing this for me," he said, giving her a soft smile. "I mean, if you hadn't agreed to teach me, I'd still be ogling Ashley from afar." He added as an afterthought, "Or I'd have made a fool of myself and gotten rejected."

"I was forced into this," she grumbled, "but you're welcome."

He chuckled. "True."

"Now please release me."

He blinked in confusion before he realized what she meant, letting go of her arm as a blush dusted his cheeks. "Right."

"Good luck," she said, opening the portal.

He gave her a nervous smile before disappearing into the blackness.

xxxxxxxxx

Beast Boy saw Ashley sitting at a table inside a café, book in hand. _Now or never, _he told himself, taking a deep breath before walking inside. There was a quiet _ding _as small bells rang from his opening the door. The blonde looked up from her book, face lighting up upon seeing who it was.

"Hi Beast Boy!" she said cheerfully.

"Hey!" he said, walking over to her. "What's up?"

"Not much," she said, shrugging. She gestured to the seat in front of her, as if encouraging him to sit down. "Pretty much the usual. What about you?"

He sat across from her. "Eh. Stopped someone from robbing a bank yesterday, but that's nothing big."

She giggled. "Maybe for you, but that's pretty impressive to me."

He winked at her. "I'm just so amazing, aren't I?"

She rolled her eyes, though a smile was dancing on her lips. "You're so egotistical." She placed her book down before continuing. "So what brings you here?"

"Would you believe me if I told you it was a coincidence?"

"Nope!"

He chuckled. "Ah, you got me. I was actually looking for you."

"Is that so? Do tell why."

"Well… How to phrase this?" He took a deep breath. "Ashley, you're an amazing person. I've known you for a month, but that fact became obvious to me after the first day we met. I like you a lot, because you're so funny and smart and love animals – and you're really pretty, too, but that's like a bonus, because personality matters more." He coughed awkwardly. "I'm getting side-tracked. What I wanted to know was… Would you like to go on a date with me?"

Ashley covered her mouth, as if she'd just received a proposal for marriage instead of a date. "Are you serious?"

He nodded, then added hastily, "Only if you want to. If you want to get to know me better that's fine, too –"

"Of course!" She leaning across the table, practically throwing her arms around him. "I'm so excited! To be honest, I was kind of hoping you'd ask me." She pulled away, blue eyes sparkling. "So what's the plan?"

He twiddled his thumbs. "Are you going to kill me if I say that I didn't make any plans yet because I wanted us to decide together?"

She giggled at the green-haired teen's nerves. "Of course not. I think that's really sweet."

"Do you want to start discussing plans now?" he suggested. "I mean, I don't have anything else to do, so if you're free…"

"I'm free!" she said happily, laughing at herself. "Beast Boy, you don't know how thrilled I am right now."

He smiled at her. He'd done it. He'd gotten a date with the girl of his dreams.

xxxxxxxxx

"He did it," Raven mumbled quietly. _Good for him. _

**But that's not good for you. **

Raven blinked in surprise. _Rage? _

**The one and only. What, were you expecting someone else? **

_Love, maybe. She tends to appear after Beast Boy's lessons. _

**Yeah, well, she's practically been put under house arrest by Happy. **

_Why? _

There was a period of silence when neither of them spoke.

_Rage? _Raven asked worriedly. _Are you still there? What's going on? _

**Didn't know you cared so much about me, **Rage said sarcastically.

_Of course I do. Especially now that you behave._

**I've always behaved. I'm Rage. Furious, pent up anger. I think I acted accordingly.**

_Whatever. But what's going on with Love? _

**None of your business. I'm just here to tell you that you should stop denying your feelings for Beast Boy. **

_You too?_

**I'm as surprised as you are. But it's gotten to the point where you're angry at **yourself**, Raven. And that's why I'm here. **

_Yes, well, how about you leave? I need to meditate._

**That's why you're watching Beast Boy through that crystal ball over there, right? **

Raven froze. She'd forgotten her emoticlones could see through her eyes. _Fine. So I'm not meditating. But as the instructor, I need to watch the student to look for progress._

Rage sighed. **As smart as Knowledge is, I swear that you can be pretty dumb, Raven.**

_What are you talking about? _

**Well, I'm not supposed to say anything, but I think I'm allowed to say this: try paying attention to your emotions. Not emoticlones, but your emotions. ****_You. _**

_Fine. Now leave me alone. _

**To quote yourself, Raven, you're either to going to make it or break it here. Think about that. **

With that, Raven felt the red-cloaked emoticlone retreat into the deeper parts of her mind, causing her to exhale a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. _Finally. _She picked the crystal ball off of her bed, gently tapping it to refocus in on Beast Boy and his conversation with Ashley.

xxxxxxxxx

"Next Saturday at 6 o'clock on the dot," Beast Boy reviewed, "and you'll come get _me_?"

Ashley nodded. "A bit strange, but since you don't have transportation available to you, I don't see why it matters." She smiled at him. "I think it'll be more fun to be different, anyway."

He grinned. "Definitely. And after you get me, we're going to 'Golden Cuisine', correct?"

"Yup! Good food, decent prices, and the building is amazing."

"And _I _get to pay."

She sighed. "I still think we should split the bill."

He stubbornly shook his head. "Nope. If you're providing transportation, then I'm paying for the meal."

"The mark of a true gentlemen," she teased.

"Are you implying that I'm _not _a gentleman?" he said, pretending to be affronted. "I'm offended by this, Ashley!"

She giggled. "I can't lie to you, now can I?"

He rolled his eyes, though he was smirking. "Alright, enough."

She glanced at the watch on her wrist, then gasped. "Oh no!"

"What?"

She bit her lip. "I have to leave. Family is coming for 5 o'clock, and that's in fifteen minutes. I'm so sorry!"

He waved his hand dismissively. "Don't be. We got everything planned in time."

"I know. But still…"

"Go spend time with your family," he said, smiling softly. "I should get back to the Tower, anyways."

"Okay. I'll see you Saturday, Beast Boy!"

He watched as the blonde left a few dollars on the table before grabbing her book and exiting the little café. "Bye, Ashley…" She'd already left. He bit his lip, unsure of why he wasn't feeling on top of the world. He _should _have felt that way. He'd scored a date with a cute girl that had a great personality. So what was wrong with him?

xxxxxxxxx

Raven tucked her crystal ball away into a drawer upon seeing Ashley leave. _That's that. _Beast Boy had gotten his dream girl. There was only one lesson left to teach him. She wasn't looking forward to it… Or was she? She groaned and pressed the heels of her hands to her forehead in frustration. Rage's words had only proceeded to confuse her further. _Something _was going on with her, and it had to be big if even her emoticlones knew about it.

But she didn't have any idea what it _was_.

Sure, her emoticlones had all been saying she liked Beast Boy, but they were so obviously joking.

_Weren't they? _

xxxxxxxxx

**Typing this made my hands hurt. XD Alright, first I have to explain some stuff. **

**1\. The reason Love got 'sick' is because Raven is ****_denying _****her feelings. Not suppressing them, because Raven already does that all the time because she's an empath, but completely denying them and claiming them to be nonexistent. In my weird little world, I thought that that would have some sort of effect on her emoticlones, and therefore the whole 'you could die or disappear' thing came to be. **

**2\. The whole story behind Raven's mirror was a product of my imagination. I apologize if there's an actual backstory behind it and I didn't know.**

**3\. The reason Raven went to Nevermore was ****_also _****a made up thing by me – in part, anyways. Raven has to meditate several times a week (maybe even a day), but the whole thing about them having to do a meditative chant – which I didn't even describe in detail – was completely made up. **

**I think that's all that has to be seriously explained, so I hope the chapter was satisfactory. School has started – for the second time, haha – and so updates will be less frequent. Nonetheless, I hope to see you next time! **

***quote **make it or break it **endquote **– This is apparently the correct form of 'quote unquote'

****it's been about a month **– Yeah, that's a guess. I don't know how much time has passed. (And this is my own story. How embarrassing. XD)


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, my lovely readers. It has been far too long since I updated. I want to finish this story soon, so I'm going to do my best to upload the final two chapters after this one within a relatively short amount of time. But we shall see. **

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans.

**Claimer: **Ashley is the property of me, myself, and I, so please ask if you want to use her.

Chapter Eight

"I'm here," Raven announced flatly as she floated down to the ground just outside of a certain green shapeshifter's room. "What do you need, Beast Boy?" _He's lucky I hadn't started meditating yet, _she mused silently to herself. _If I had, I probably would have thrown him out the window. _

_Again. _

The previous time being because Love had taken to pestering her while she meditated, resulting in the half-demoness having a short temper for hours after the emoticlone had 'gone'. _But he deserved it, _she decided. The green shapeshifter had practically broken down her door after throwing a 'stank ball' at it, after all.

The door in front of her suddenly flew open, startling the purple-haired empath out of her thoughts.

"Raven!" Beast Boy exclaimed in relief, leaning towards her desperately, only being kept upright by his tight grip on the door frame. "You made it!" _I didn't think you'd come, _he added silently. Not that he'd blame her. _No more Stank Ball around Raven. _

Raven took a cautious step backwards as he practically threw himself forwards, eyeing him warily. His behavior was... Odd. "Yes... I'm only down the hall, you know." She cleared her throat before continuing. "So, why did you need to speak to me so badly?"

"Oh! Right." He ignored the light blush on his cheeks as he regained his balance without assistance from the door frame before taking a step backwards into his bedroom. He awkwardly looked at his feet. Now he was having second thoughts about begging the empath for her help. "It's kind of stupid..."

"As are most things you require assistance with."

He glared at her, offended, all embarrassment forgotten. "Hey! No need to be _rude_, Rae."

"There's a distinct difference between rudeness and honesty." _Though, _she realized after speaking, _the line between them is a fine one._

"You're not making this any easier, you know," he muttered, embarrassment returning, before breaking off eye contact with her.

Instantly, the half-demoness felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She didn't have the right to take out her frustration of not having a chance to meditate on him. "True. I apologize." On the other hand... "But in all seriousness, Beast Boy, I need to return to meditating." She _could _enlighten him of it.

He rolled his eyes dramatically, not picking up her subtle hint at all, though his 'anxiety' seemed to have faded. "Geez, Rae. Choosing meditation over hanging out with _me_?"

"Yes," she said flatly. She wasn't going to lie to him.

The green-haired teen pouted, more hurt by her words than he'd prefer to acknowledge. "Fine. Be that way."

Raven sighed, tired of the pointless conversation. "This is going nowhere fast. If you aren't going to get to the point of why you required my assistance, Beast Boy, I'm going to take my leave," she said, starting to turn away.

"No!" he practically shouted, desperately reaching out to grab her arm. "Don't leave yet! I'll get to the point!"

The empath stiffened as his hand wrapped around her upper right arm. Blood rushed to her cheeks, and she knew her face had turned a shade of red similar to such. _Terrific, _she managed to think despite her mortification.

Beast Boy realized that was he was still holding her arm. "S-Sorry," he stuttered, quickly letting go and taking a step backwards. _Awkward._

"It's fine," Raven muttered, though she discreetly moved her cloak to fall completely around her as a way to prevent future physical contact. She took a slow breath to regain her composure. "Now, are you going to tell me what made you require my help so badly?" The purple-haired girl silently prayed her monotonous tone would help drive off the irritating blush on her face.

"Oh. Right," the shapeshifter said with an anxious laugh that came out more as the screech of a dying whale. He coughed into his fist to hopefully disguise the noise that had just been produced by his vocal cords before reverting back to his normal grin. "So, you know how I've got a date with Ashley in like... A few days or something?"

She rolled her eyes, already exasperated with him. _Honestly..._ "If this is about your final lesson, I already told you that you have to have it shortly before the actual date, or else you'll - "

"No, no," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "It's not about - " He hesitated, clearly thinking about how he need to phrase his next statement. _I can't say that it's _not _about that, but it's not like it _is_..._ "Okay, so it's _kind of _about that, but not really."

Raven raised an eyebrow. _What impressive phrasing. _She would never say it out loud, of course, but her curiosity was slightly piqued. "Then what _is _it about?"

Beast Boy blushed again, but this time from embarrassment of the... _Predicament _he had. _At least it's not as bad as when I got lost only like half a mile from the Tower._ "Just come on in." He stepped aside to allow the empath to enter his bedroom.

Raven slowly walked in, ignoring the slight feeling of suspicion she felt rising within her. It was all but forgotten when she got a good look her surroundings. Her upper lip curled in disgust at the sight of his bedroom. "Beast Boy, just because you can turn into animals doesn't mean to you have to _live _like one."

The green-haired boy pouted at her statement, dramatically placing a hand over his heart, though he knew it was true. "You point-eth a sword to-eth my heart, Rae."

The half-demoness did her best to avoid wincing at his butchered Shakespeare. Instead, she sent him a cold glare. "Beast Boy..."

He laughed, no longer automatically connecting her glares with immediate doom, like he used to. "Yeah, yeah. Get to the point. I know." He ran over to his closet, pulling the door open to reveal messy piles all of one article of clothing - his uniform. _Maybe I should have folded them... _He shrugged. _Too late now._

Raven raised a brow at the complete chaos that had taken over his closet. _I don't understand how he manages to find anything in here. _"Do you need help with organization?"

He rolled his eyes. "_No_, Rae."

"_Raven_."

He ignored her correction. "I need help figuring out what to _wear _for my date!"

She blinked in surprise. Who would have thought she'd see the day where Beast Boy genuinely cared about his appearance? _But, _she thought resentfully, _it's all for Ashley, of course. _"Is a tuxedo not adequate?" She squinted, trying to see everything hiding within his closet. "Actually, do you even _own _a tuxedo?"

"Er, maybe?" he said with a nervous laugh. "I mean, I probably do, but I'm worried it's too formal." _In other words, _he thought, _I have no idea where it is._ But despite that, he was only taking her out to a café, _technically_ speaking. _Though it's probably one of the nicest restaurants in town... _

"I highly doubt it. Besides, after looking inside Ashley's mind for a while, it seems she has bit of a 'thing' for classy men," Raven said, taking her hood off. _Or she most likely does, anyway._

Beast Boy wasn't able to stop himself from staring into her violet eyes as the shadow from her hood that had been hiding them disappeared. He didn't 'get lost' in them, per se, but it was noticeable to him how _unique _they were. _Like amethyst orbs, _he mused.

The empath noticed his slightly awestruck gaze and quickly turned away, doing her best to avoid blushing.

**Ooh, would you look at that, **Love teased. **BB's got Rae-Rae all flustered!**

_He does not, _Raven grumbled to herself. _It was just awkward having him stare at me. And please refrain from referring to him as 'BB' and myself as 'Rae-Rae'._

**Sure, sure. **

The half-demoness sighed silently. She'd only spoken with the emoticlone for up to thirty seconds yet was already exhausted. _Love, please. In case it wasn't clear to you, I'm preoccupied at the moment. _

**Oh, I know. That's why I'm here, after all.**

_What are you talking about? _

Love just giggled before Raven felt the emoticlone's presence drift slowly from her mind.

Beast Boy noticed that Raven was staring off into the distance and no longer paying attention to his distress about needing a proper outfit for his upcoming date. "Rae!" he exclaimed. "Focus, please!"

Raven blinked slowly as the green shapeshifter's shouting brought her out of the thoughts created by her conversation with Love. "Sorry," she muttered. Then she sighed. "Look, Beast Boy, don't you think Starfire would be better suited to help you here? She's more... _Feminine _than I am. I don't know the first thing about 'fashion'."

Beast Boy snickered. "What, you don't have a fashion emoti-whats-it?"

She rolled her eyes at his immaturity. "_No_, I do not have a 'fashion' _emoticlone_. You of all people should know that, seeing as you've been inside my mind. But if you're only going to mock me, then I honestly will take my leave. I have better things to do than engage in a verbal confrontation."

In a flash he was on his knees at her feet, begging her to stay. "No! Please don't leave! I still need help!" He knew he was being overly dramatic, but maybe he could invoke the pity card with her.

She sighed, already feeling a headache start to form. _Or rather, form into a migraine._ "Fine. Hurry up and find the outfits you're considering - though I'm not sure _how _you'll manage to do so -, and then I'll give you insight on how Ashley might feel about them."

He beamed at her, glad she had decided to stay. "Thanks, Rae!"

"Don't call me that."

He winked. "Sure, Rae-_Rae_."

"Beast Boy..."

He laughed, once again not intimidated by the death glare she was giving him. She wouldn't _really _hurt him because of a nickname. _Probably. _"Alright, alright, _Raven._ Just give me one second to find everything!"

The empath watched, slightly amused as he dove practically headfirst into his closet, scattering shirts and other various articles of clothing as he did so.

After ten minutes of searching, Beast Boy emerged from the mess he'd created holding three different outfits in his arms. "Got them!"

"Show them to me," Raven ordered, not wanting to waste time so she could be back in her room within fifteen minutes.

"Do I need to change into them?" he asked, as if deliberately trying to make the entire 'event' last longer.

"_No_." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I just have to tell you if Ashley would like them, correct? So there's no need for you to go any extra trouble."

_And tell me if _you_ like them, _he added silently, though the expression of enthusiasm on his face gave no hints toward that particular thought. "Awesome, dude!" He dropped two of the three outfits on the floor and tried to straighten out the one still in his hand. "This is the first choice!"

Raven bit her lip as she studied the purple dress shirt he held up next to a pair of black slacks. "Well... It's not bad, I suppose, but it's not..." She struggled to think of a way to finish her sentence before she gave up and sighed. "For lack of better vocabulary, it's not _you_. You don't want her to think you're trying to be someone else. All the work you've put in up until now could go down the drain." _But would that even be so bad? _she thought, turning a bright red after she realized what she meant.

Beast Boy's jaw dropped, not noticing the sudden coloration of her cheeks. "Whoa. Dude, I didn't know clothes were that important. Now I understand why girls always take so long to get ready!"

She rolled her eyes at his words, wondering why she'd been embarrassed in the first place. "That's a stereotype, Beast Boy. Have Starfire and I ever taken longer than ten minutes to get ready?"

He tapped his chin, thinking. "Hmm..." His green eyes lit up, reminding Raven slightly of emeralds. "Ooh! What about the time Star had a date with Rob, so she invited Jinx over to help her get ready and it took the whole day?"

Raven opened her mouth to protest, but closed it upon realizing he was right. _For once._

He smirked at the frustrated expression on her face. _I outsmarted Raven! _

She glared at him, having figured out a way to prove that while he was correct, she hadn't been _wrong_. "_One _time out of _many._"

"Once is enough!" he said cheerfully, pretending not to understand what she meant.

"Get the next outfit ready," she said darkly, silently _daring _him to say something else that might annoy her.

He sweatdropped, deciding to quickly throw the first outfit onto the ground and grab the second instead of replying. "This one's just a t-shirt and some jeans."

Raven immediately shook her head, not even having to study the clothes in detail. "No. You said yourself that the date is at a _nice _restaurant. Casual clothing may fit your personality more, but you don't want to seem as if you got ready last-minute."

Beast Boy stared at the empath in awe. "Wow, Rae. How'd you get to learn so much about this stuff?" Raven, out of everyone, was the _last _person he'd expect to know about dating. _Then again, _he thought wryly, _I didn't think she'd be as good of a matchmaker as she is, either. _

She shrugged, choosing not to acknowledge the light blush dusting her cheeks because of his compliment. "It was just mentioned in a few books I read." _Or a lot, _she said dryly to herself, thinking guiltily of her secret pleasure - reading teen romance novels. "_Anyways_."

He nodded hastily. Sensing her impatience, he picked up the last outfit. "It's a little... _Uptight_, I think."

Raven studied the simple black tuxedo he was holding up for her to see. "Understandable. But that can be easily remedied."

He frowned. "How?" he asked, examining the clothes in disbelief. "I mean, Rae... It's got a _tie_."

She rolled her eyes at his obliviousness. Sometimes she seriously doubted if there was actually a working brain inside of his skull. "And who's forcing you to wear it?"

He blinked, not understanding what the empath was implying. And then... "Aaaaah."

The purple-haired girl almost laughed.

The green shapeshifter stuck his tongue out at her. "Yeah, yeah. Make fun of me." He took another look at the tuxedo, trying to picture himself in it _without _the tie. Nothing particularly appealing came to mind. "So... How _do _I wear it?"

"Simple," Raven replied. "Don't button the jacket. Leaving the shirt's top few buttons buttoned or not is up to you."

He grinned, an attractive image of himself coming together in his mind. "Laid-back but still cool."

"I was thinking more along the lines of 'attempted to look nice but fell short'."

Instead of reacting in an offended manner like, well, _usual_, the green-haired boy simply smiled at her. "Fair enough."

She raised an eyebrow at his unusual attitude, suspicious, but chose not to comment on it. "Is that everything?"

"Yup! You're dismissed, Rae-Rae!"

She sighed. "Beast Boy, so help me, if you call me 'Rae' or 'Rae-Rae' again, I _will _throw you out the window of the tower." _Maybe then I could have a minute of peace. _

"You know you love it," he said, waggling his eyebrows.

"Goodbye, Beast Boy," Raven said flatly, floating out of his bedroom and down to her own. Upon getting there, she slowly closed the door behind her and sank onto the floor. Her heart was racing. She silently swore. _Why? _she asked herself. _Why can he, of all people, do _this_ to me? _

She expected Love to answer.

Only, one never came.

Rage's words from a week earlier came to mind.

**Try paying attention to your emotions. Not your emoticlones, but your emotions. ****_You. _**

Raven took a deep breath, trying to calm down. _It's nothing. _

It had to be.

xxxxxxxxx

Beast Boy took one last look at himself in the bathroom mirror. _I guess I look okay... But will Raven think Ashley will like it? Will _she _like it? _When the green-haired boy realized what he was thinking, he almost burst out laughing. _I'm acting like teenage girl! _He glanced at the watch on his wrist that he'd somehow found underneath his bed - a gift about Cyborg two Christmases ago.

_5:10. _

He had around thirty-five minutes to get his final lesson from Raven if he wanted to be ready in case Ashley showed up early. He was still slightly embarrassed that _Ashley _had to come get _him_, but it wasn't the main thought in his mind as it had been an few days ago while choosing an outfit. _With Raven_.

Instead, Beast Boy was disappointed.

Why?

He wasn't entirely sure.

**I know why. **

For once, the shapeshifter wasn't irritated that the Beast had shown up. _You do?_

**Of course. I'm all-knowing.**

Beast Boy snorted quietly. _I'm sure you are. _

**You want me to tell you, right?**

_Is it that obvious?_

**When I can see inside your mind, yes.**

_Ha ha, _Beast Boy said sarcastically. _Seriously, Beast. Why am I depressed and stuff?_

**It's not depression. You, of all people, would not be diagnosed with depression.**

_Beast..._

**It's because of Raven.**

The green-haired teen was confused. _What? _

**Think about it. This is your ****_last _****lesson with her. After it's done, you'll have no excuse to hang out with her anymore. Not to mention much of your time will be consumed by your new ****_girlfriend_****. Correct?**

At first Beast Boy had no clue as to what the Beast was implying. But when he understood... _I'm not going to miss hanging out with Raven! _Beast Boy sputtered in shock. _What made you think _that_?! I mean, she always insults me and stuff, so why would I _want _to hang out with her? Why would _she _want to hang out with me?_

**Maybe because she likes you. Ever consider that?**

Beast Boy snorted. _Not a chance. Raven's type is more serious guys._

**Since when have you cared about Raven's type of guy?**

Beast Boy cursed. _Okay, fine, you got me. I like hanging out with Raven. There. I said it. _

**Anything else?**

Nothing _else. Besides, I know she won't want to be around me at all after this lesson, so it's doesn't matter. We _shouldn't _hang out. Our lives will go back to normal as soon as Ashley and I get together. It'll be fine._

**Then explain why you're dreading the final lesson.**

_I... _He stopped. He didn't know. _I already told you. I'll miss hanging out with Raven a _little _bit._

The Beast ignored his words. **You know that once the fifth lesson is over, once you leave on that date with Ashley, there's no going back. It will be as if the lessons with Raven never happened. It will be as if you had never spoken to her during the entire month and a half. Ashley will take up any time you might be able to spend with Raven after this. You ****_know _****that. And you ****_hate_**** it.**

_Enough! _Beast Boy snapped. _Leave me alone, Beast. You're wrong. Raven and I have never been close ad will never be close. I don't want to hear your..._

**Lies? **

_Something along those lines._

**Except they aren't lies. **

Beast Boy was silent.

**I'll let you think about everything for a while.**

The Beast's presence faded from his mind, but slowly, as if he was trying to tell the green shapeshifter that he'd never truly be gone.

Beast Boy slowly shook his head before standing up.

_5:15._

He sighed. Now he had thirty minutes.

xxxxxxxxx

"You made it," Raven said flatly, not even opening her eyes as she hovered above the ground in the simulation room, her crossed legs hinting that she'd been meditating before he arrived.

Beast Boy gaped at the empath. "Dude, how did you even know I came in?" Though her eyes were still closed, he was certain she rolled her eyes.

"You weren't exactly _silent _as you came in, you know."

He laughed nervously as he recalled tripping over his own feet and shouting something about Cyborg inventing invisible shoelaces. "I still thing Cyborg created invisible shoelaces and tied them all to my shoes."

"Your shoes don't _have _laces."

"My point exactly!"

"Anyways," Raven continued purposefully, opening her eyes before lowering her feet to the ground and brushing herself off, "are you ready for your final lesson?"

He gave her a half-hearted smile, remembering the Beast's words from earlier. "Yeah."

She nodded, apparently not noticing his sudden lack of cheer. "Good. Let's begin." The purple-haired demoness flicked her wrist, using her dark energy to set up a table and two chairs. "Lesson Five: The Perfect Date."

Beast Boy grinned. " 'The Perfect Date'? By 'Date', do you mean the _event_, or the _person_? Because I think I'm already 'the perfect date'." That one _had _to make her laugh.

Raven ignored his comment, though she had to give him credit for cleverness. _Albeit only a fraction of it. _"This lesson has three main parts you have to learn as we go through them," she continued. "There will be no repeating anything, mostly because _you _do not have _time_."

He pouted. She hadn't said anything in reference to his joke. Then his frown morphed into an even wider grin than before. "You didn't deny what I said, Rae. Do _you_ think I'm the perfect date?"

She sighed. "If I did, there'd be no need for this lesson. Now sit." A minute into the lesson and the purple-haired demoness was already running out of patience.

He frowned again at her harsh words but complied, not wanting to anger her any further.

Raven pushed a button on the panel that caused the walls of the room to turn into that of a restaurant before sitting across from him. "You should also know that _I _will _not_ be acting anything out with you, since the main purpose of this lesson is to give you _guidelines_ for the date, not how it should go word-for-word. Understand?"

The green-haired boy nodded, though he was disappointed he wouldn't get to see Raven be 'Ashley' again. Whether he chose to admit it to her or not, he enjoyed working with Raven, not to mention the bonus of being able to see a completely different side of her.

"Good. So what is the golden rule of dating?"

He blanched, unprepared for the sudden question. "Er... Always carry around breath mints?"

She rolled her eyes. "Try 'be yourself'."

"Right." He felt stupid. "Be myself. Got it."

The cloaked girl felt a smile tugging on the corners of her lips, coughing to disguise it. She held up her index finger. "Part One: The Entrance. Do you have any idea of what I mean by this?"

He laughed nervously, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. Now he felt _twice _as stupid. "No... Should I?"

"Think for a minute, Beast Boy," she said, rolling her eyes. _Honestly. _It wasn't that hard. "Don't tell me you don't know what 'entrance' means."

He glared at her, but she noted how his green eyes held no real malice. "Well, based on the context, I'm guessing you're implying that I need to polite as we enter the restaurant?"

Raven hesitated before speaking. _He's not wrong... But he's not right, either. _Finally, she decided on the age-old response. "You've got the right idea. But think more along the lines of your entrance _to her_, I suppose."

Beast Boy frowned, confused as to what she was trying to get him to say. "Hold the door for her? Pull out her chair for her to sit in?"

The empath realized that having him guess may not have been the best way to go. "Never mind. Pretend I never said anything."

He sighed in relief, thankful he no longer had to be subject to humiliation of that manner.

"Let's start over," she suggested, "and this time, _I'll _explain what I mean, you do your best to 'perform' it, and I'll critique you before we move on. Is that permissible?"

"Permi-what-now?" he said, bewildered.

Raven sighed. She decided then and there that she was going to buy the shapeshifter a dictionary for Christmas and force him to memorize a page of words a day until he'd expanded his vocabulary to thrice the size of what it was at that moment. " 'Is that okay with you?' "

"Oh. Sure!"

Raven internally facepalmed. "Fine. Now, Part One: The Entrance," she began again. "This is not _only_ a matter of being polite when entering the restaurant - though that is incredibly important -, but also how you first communicate with Ashley when you see her. It starts the moment you step into the car."

"So, it's my attitude, particularly in the beginning?" Beast Boy said slowly, attempting to clarify it for himself.

Raven bit her lip. "That's one way to phrase it, I suppose. Remember that you don't want to seem _awkward_, but showing off your nerves - at least in part - is fine. It'll show her that you can be honest towards her about how you're feeling." _Something many people struggle with._

He grinned. "Awesome, dude."

"Everything is 'awesome' to you."

"Best way to live life!"

"From your perspective."

Before he could figure out what the purple-haired girl was implying, she'd already moved on.

"Now act out how you might first speak to her," she said. "Basic things, like striking up the conversation. Nothing with incredible detail."

He nodded, about to start, when she held up a hand to stop him.

"Wait." She flinched at how bossy she sounded. "Er, I'm sorry I'm interrupting you."

He gave her a crooked grin, unknowing that it caused her cheeks to turn bright red. "No problem, Rae. You're the boss." Besides... He liked hearing her speak, especially when she wasn't insulting him or yelling at him.

Raven returned the smile with an awkward one of her own. "Right. Ah, I just wanted to warn you that no matter how desperate circumstances become, do not resort to the weather as a topic." That was Dating Advice 101. _Or even just communication advice, _she thought wryly.

Beast Boy nodded. "No talking about the weather. Easy enough."

_Perhaps you'll change your mind once you're actually in the car with her, _Raven mused. "Now go ahead."

He nodded again, taking a deep breath before relaxing into the persona he used with Ashley. "So..." he drawled, almost sounding as if he'd been raised in the heart of the South, "are you excited for our date tonight? I know I am."

The half-demoness frowned. "Three out of ten."

His jaw dropped. "What?! Was it really that bad?!" He gave her a suspicious stare. "And since when have you been giving me criticism by scoring me on a scale of one to ten?"

"Since right now, because you have just under twenty minutes to get through this lesson," Raven said simply, crossing her arms over her chest. "And yes, it _was _'that bad'. Points for keeping it simple and allowing her a wide range of responses, but _you _are not a person who would naturally have a Southern dialect."

"Do you mean accent?"

"No, I do not mean 'accent'. An _accent_ implies you learned English as a second language, or learned English in a country where English is not the official language, excepting America, of course. A _dialect_ is a variation of the sounds or speaker's voice in a language, such as how Americans, Britons, and Australians all speak English but with very different tones and occasionally phonetics. Understand?"

"Not at all!" he said cheerfully. _At least I'm honest about it! _

Raven rolled her eyes. "Whatever. But I'm not here to teach you the difference between an accent and a dialect."

"Then why were you talking about them?!" Beast Boy protested, his mood shifting because of suddenly being overwhelmed by his frustration with his lack of progress in the final lesson. Not to mention he had to put it into practice in under half an hour. When he tried to think rationally about it, it just became too much.

Raven massaged her temples, exasperated with his nonchalance that had morphed into anger at _her_. "Never mind, Beast Boy. Just drop the dialect - or accent, if that's what you want to call it - and you should be fine with the 'entrance' part. I'd also recommend making sure to - indirectly, if you can - talk about how the date is going to run with her. That way, if something happens, you know what to move on to. Does that make sense?"

He nodded after a brief moment of hesitation. "Yes."

"Good. Moving on." Raven flicked her wrist as she'd done a few minutes earlier, causing two 'menus' to float from the sides of the room and land in front of them. "These are actual menus from Golden Cuisine."

"Really?" he exclaimed, becoming delighted once again. "Rae, you're the best!"

"Thanks," she muttered, embarrassed by his praise. _Stuff like that never affected me before. _She silently sighed. _This is getting out of hand. _"I just said that I was a Teen Titan and they handed them over right away. And offered a discount the next time I go eat there." _Not that I plan to return._

Beast Boy whistled. "Geez, Rae. You sure have a lot of influence, huh?" The green shapeshifter felt guilty about snapping at her because of the whole 'accents versus dialects' thing, so he was trying to be extra nice. _Besides, _he told himself, _a little flattery never hurt anyone. Especially when it's honest. _

"Part Two," Raven continued, wanting to change the topic, "is 'Ordering'."

He raised an eyebrow at her statement. "Dude, that's a thing?"

She simply nodded. "Yes. With most dates, the girl will ask the guy what she should have to eat."

"But I've never been to Golden Cuisine before!" he said, slightly panicked. "I don't know what to - "

"First, calm down," Raven said dryly, though she was secretly amused by his panic. "Why do you think I went to the trouble to getting _real _Golden Cuisine menus for you?"

Realization struck. "_Oh_." He grinned at her. "Y'know, Rae, you're really smart."

"Don't I know it," she muttered. "Anyways, take a minute to look over it. Then tell me what you'd recommend to Ashley."

He nodded, his green eyes dropping from looking at her violet ones to looking at the words of the menu. But as he skimmed through it, her gaze was on him, making him feel incredibly vulnerable. _Does she want me to mess up? Does she already know what I'm going to choose? Why is this so stressful?! _All he was doing was picking a stupid meal. Why was he getting so worked up over it?!

And then it became obvious.

_Raven. _

Of course.

He shook his head, trying to push the thought from his mind.

"Decided?"

_Speak of the demoness, _he swore. "U-Uh, yeah." He cleared his throat. "So, do you want me to just tell _you_, or act like I'm telling Ashley...?"

_Of course there's a difference, _Raven thought bitterly. She should have known there'd be no way he could be himself the same way around her as he was with Ashley. "Just pretend I'm Ashley."

"Okay." He cleared his throat again before putting a winning smile on his face. "Menus got a pretty wide variety of things to get, right? And they all look _really _good." He paused, imagining that Ashley would giggle before agreeing with him. "But, even after looking at all of that, I think I'd have to go with some good, old fashioned grilled catfish with steak kabobs."

It was then Raven desperately wanted to strangle him. _Idiot. _"Beast Boy," she said slowly, her tone laced with exasperation, "you are a _vegetarian_. _Why _on Earth would you recommend _steak _to her?"

Beast Boy shrugged, staring at the menu to avoid making eye contact with her. _I knew it was a stupid idea. _"Thought I should recommend something she might want."

She sighed. "Beast Boy, what part of 'be yourself' do you not understand? You've never struggled with it before. Now isn't the time for you to get cold feet with Ashley."

"I'm not getting cold feet," he grumbled. "I'm just..." He didn't know how to say it.

She waited for him to finish, but the green-haired boy continued to stubbornly stare at the menu in front of him. She sighed again. "Beast Boy, it's 5:33. You're running out of time before Ashley arrives. Tell me, right now - do you want this lesson? Because even without it, you should be fine."

He slammed the menu onto the table. "Rae, _I don't know_."

Startled by his outburst, the empath took a step back. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know if I want this lesson!" He stood up, pushing the table to the side, away from him. "I _thought _I did, because I really didn't want to screw up this date, but I also didn't want this to be the last time I get a chance to _talk _to you! Because whether I'm your friend or not, Raven, you're mine." Beast Boy had no idea where he was going with what he was saying, but it had to be said. _Now or never. _"At first it was all just a way to get Ashley to like me, but then _you _somehow got involved."

"Of course I did," Raven snapped. "I'm the one giving you the lessons, because of the incredibly stupid bet that _you_ _rigged_." She sighed. "Beast Boy, this is ridiculous. Do you want the lesson or not?" Though she was putting a cold, couldn't-care-less front, if someone pushed beyond her harsh exterior, she knew they'd see that she was afraid. Of what, she didn't know.

"Not like _that_!" Beast Boy exclaimed, ignoring the second half of her sentence.

"Then what do you mean?!"

"I don't know!" He ran a hand through his hair. "It was mainly after the truth serum thing. After we said how we..." He struggled to say his next words. "_Felt _about each other."

Raven felt her cheeks heat up. She swallowed a lump forming in her throat. "Ah."

"And things became... _Different_," he continued. "But they _shouldn't_ have! And I... I don't know! Or understand! Because you're giving me lessons on how to date _Ashley_. We started this whole thing because of _Ashley. _I. like. _Ashley_!"

Suddenly, Raven realized what she was afraid of.

_Heartbreak. _

"You're right," she said flatly, doing her best to disguise all of the emotions swirling around within her. _The calm before a storm, _she thought bitterly. "And Ashley is going to be here in a little over twenty minutes, now. So answer me, Beast Boy, truthfully, no dancing around. _Do you want this lesson_?"

This time, he heard it. What she really wanted to know.

_Do you want to date Ashley? _

"I don't know."

"_Beast Boy_."

"What part of 'I don't know' don't you understand?!" he shouted angrily, glaring furiously at the purple-haired empath.

She met his glare with an empty gaze of her own.

Instantly, his look faltered. He realized what he'd said. "Raven - "

She held up a hand to silence him, turning her head away. "No need to explain, Beast Boy. I understand perfectly." She looked at him again, this time her violet eyes cold and hard. "Ashley will be here soon. You should make sure you're ready." She started to leave.

"Rae - "

"You shouldn't address me so familiarly around your girlfriend," Raven said flatly. "She might get the wrong idea." _Like me, _she added silently, adding fuel to the fire of rage - _No, _R_age, _she corrected herself - burning inside her. "Also, for future reference, Beast Boy, Part Three of this lesson is 'Making Conversation'. I recommend topics of similar interest, such as hobbies you may share." She tilted her head to the side. "Oh, but I'd refrain from mentioning anything about your _friends_." At that, the empath turned and left, her blue cloak billowing out behind her.

Beast Boy cursed as he watched her go. "Raven!" he called as she turned a corner, leaving his line of sight. "Raven!"

No response.

**Not gonna go after her? **the Beast asked. **Surely there are things to be said.**

_You're the last person I want to talk to right now, _Beast Boy grumbled.

**Perhaps.**

Beast Boy waited for him to say more, but he was silent. _What? _he said crudely. _Not going to say, 'I told you so'? _

**Do I need to?**

_... No. _

**Exactly. You came to that conclusion all on your own.**

_But what now?! I didn't even think about what I was saying, it just - came out! _

**I know that. But Raven doesn't.**

_But... _He trailed off. _I need to talk to Raven._

**She doesn't want to talk to you.**

"I don't care!" the shapeshifter shouted, not realizing he was speaking aloud. "Don't you think I know that?! But I _have_ to talk to her." He groaned as the enormity of the task set in. "How am I supposed to do that?"

**Don't know. You've got to figure that out. But...**

_But what? _he thought. _Things can't get much worse._

The Beast chuckled before his presence faded from Beast Boy's mind.

"What was he going on about...?" Beats Boy muttered, puzzled.

Realization struck in the form of a certain robotic teen.

"Yo! BB! Ashley's here!"

Beast Boy cursed. _Now _what was he going to do?

xxxxxxxxx

**Yes, I'm going to end it there. I'm only partially sorry. XD**

**At long last, the climactic turning point we were all waiting for! Hopefully you're all on the edge of your seats, wanting to know what will happen next. To be honest, I'm not entirely certain how the fine details will play out, but the ending is clear in my mind. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'll see you next time! **

**Note: **Yes, I have a headcanon that Raven loves to read teen romance novels. Deal with it. :P


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